Too many weight loss programs for women have the same problem. And it's a big, big problem. They aren't programs that get great results because they stay away from what works!What works is intense workouts with resistance, whether it's using dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells or just using body weight exercises like push ups, pull ups and body weight squats.Instead of effective programs they have them doing simple cardio, whether it's on the stationary bike or following along with some aerobic dance DVD that once in awhile has them pick up little pink weights or a broomstick.Ladies, you are not going to get big bulky muscles by using resistance training and some intensity.But you will develop a lean, sexy, toned body that turns heads. You'll also be much more likely to keep the weight off.The images of steroid using professional female bodybuilders has scared women away from picking up weights and it's a shame.Ladies, what would you rather look like, female fitness models like Jennifer Nicole Lee and athletes like Allison Stokke (Google them) or some rail thin, unhealthy looking model.Another great example of proper exercise for the right results is the difference between a marathon runner and a sprinter.Marathon runners, who do endless lower intensity cardio work, look unhealthy, too skinny, and lack any kind of muscle mass or tone.Sprinters look fit, healthy, strong, and shapely.Hopefully, I've convinced you that weight loss programs for women should include intense workouts with resistance training.But don't worry, I'm not talking about bench pressing 300 pounds or any of that nonsense.You see, you can combine your resistance training and your cardio by using body weight exercises, a dumbbell or two, and timed intervals.Some really popular intervals are 20/10, 30/15, 30/30 and 40/20. These numbers are in seconds.What this means is that you do an exercise for the first number in seconds and then rest for the second number.You then either repeat the exercise for a certain number of rounds or you move on to the next exercise.So the 20/10 means to perform an exercise for 20 seconds, then rest 10 seconds.The power of this type of routine is that you'll get great calorie burning benefits and cardio, while also utilizing resistance and working all your muscles, helping you to get lean, fit and toned.Here's a sample workout for you. Complete each exercise in 20/10 fashion for the number of rounds indicated and then move on to the next exercise.The great thing about timed intervals over reps is that you can stop and rest if you need to.Over time, try and improve the number of reps you can get in each interval.Jumping Jacks x 4 rounds Push Ups x 2 rounds Body weight Squats x 4 rounds Jump Rope x 4 rounds Standing Dumbbell Presses x 2 rounds Alternate Front Lunges x 4 roundsEach round is only 30 seconds so that's 2 rounds or only ten and minutes.Some great things about work outs like this is variety. You can do a ton of different exercises using just body weight and a couple of dumbbells.Just push ups have lots of variations (normal, close grip, clap, staggered, kneeling, explosive, incline, decline, spiderman style, etc.).The exercises are intense so they can be really short, ranging from 4 to 25 minutes or so.You also don't need a lot of space.
