Burn Off Your Spare Tire in Only 20 Minutes

Being a gym-rat might not be the best option to lose that spare tire.

In most gyms in this country, there exists a stale mindset: that in order to be chiseled like an Olympic athlete, you must go to the gym six days a week and train for an hour to two hours.

And that's not even counting cardio; that's just the strength training.

If you want to get lean and look good in the buff--and let's be honest: that's why most of us work out--then throw out the old paradigm that cardiovascular exercise must be separated from strength training, which also is separated from flexibility training.

Why not combine all three components? Why not spend three-quarters less time in the gym and actually get better results?

By combining exercises that activate all major muscle groups in the body, you will not only get stronger, you will also burn more calories and fat.

Exercises like squats, deadlifts and clean and jerks tax the whole body and they are great core-muscle builders. And because these exercises get blood pumping to all areas of the body, the cardiovascular system gets a great workout as well.

Men love to pump up their biceps, often doing 10-12 sets of isolated arm curls. What a waste of time! But don't worry, by performing total-body exercises, your biceps will be highly engaged and activated, fully pumped.

Another popular fad in gyms is balance training. Have you ever been in a gym and seen a trainer throw a ball to a client, while the client is standing on a balance disk? If you want to work on your balance and coordination, then by all means throw $75 at your trainer and have fun catching balls.

But if it's fat burning, strength-gaining, heart-pumping results you are after, start performing old-fashioned but highly-effective exercises.

You don't have to be an Olympic weightlifter to perform squats and deadlifts. You may substitute barbells, which could be inappropriate for somebody performing a squat for the first time, with dumbbells. You may also use your own bodyweight.

Hiring a personal trainer for three to six months might be a good idea if you have no prior exercise experience or need the motivation.

If you do hire a trainer, make sure to specify that you want the following in a 60-minute session:
-- 10 minutes of Joint Mobility warm up (which loosens up the joints and allows for easier and less painful and tight movement);
-- 10 minutes of core-building exercises (to strengthen the corset-like musculature structure of the abdominal cavity and lower back)
-- 20-25 minutes of total-body exercises (every repetition should incorporate the glutes, hips and core)
-- 10-15 minutes of stretching therapy (active isolated stretching is ideal, however static stretching is therapeutic as well)

Kettlebells, which look like a cannonball with a thick luggage handle attached to the top have become a popular workout tool in the past handful of years. Because the weight of the kettlebell is off-centered, as opposed to a dumbbell, the whole body must be used to generate force to complete a rep.

Ditch isolation exercises in exchange for total-body integration. You'll have more time to hang out at the bar with your friends.