To do this, follow these five tips to improve your workouts. You can test every single one of these tips, or just a few - whichever you choose, beware; the result may be admiring second glances and the need to pull those 'skinny jeans' out of the wardrobe.
1. Work more than one muscle at a time
When you're focussing on fat loss, the big mistake most mums make is to constantly focus on exercises that are aimed at toning or shaping their bodies. Instead, you should focus on the exercises that give you the most bang for your buck. By this, I mean exercises that require more than one muscle group. When working out with just Isolation exercises (one muscle group), you really are limiting the fat burning potential of your body. Incorporate compound movements (more than one muscle group) and see your weight loss sky-rocket.
2. Pair-up exercises.
Again, focussing on the biggest bank for your buck, you want to ideally keep moving during the whole of your workout (rather than sit down and have a chat). To achieve this you can pair exercises up into lower body movements and upper body movements. This then allows whichever muscle groups you aren't working to have a rest and recover.
Not only will this be more effective for your fat burning goals, your workout will be considerably shorter.
3. Aim for 8-12 reps
Another mistake the mums I work with make is to only focus on really low weights and high repetitions. This is counterproductive. Sure, low weight, high reps has its place, but if you're looking to burn fat, this is a pointless approach to take. The 8-12 rep range has been proven through research to be the best range for building lean muscle which in-turn burns the most amount of calories.
4. Perform total body workouts.
All muscles work together in pairs. You therefore need to drop the belief that muscles work independently of each other. Each opposing muscle group should be trained that way. For example, if you work out using your triceps, you should also work out your biceps to prevent any muscular imbalances.
5. Cardio is not the cure-all for fat loss.
The biggest mistake mums make is believing that spending hours doing cardio will burn fat. Yes, sure, you will burn some fat but you're a busy mum - you want the best exercises that are the safest, most effective, and time friendly. Strength training, in particular resistance training, increases the amount of calories your body burns as you add lean muscle mass.
If you incorporate these tips into your workouts, not only will you save time, but you'll also soon see a leaner and more toned body.