Best workout routines for men

Did you know that only 47% of American adults get their minimum daily recommended amount of aerobic activity? Only 19% of high school students are active more than 20 minutes each day. It should be no surprise, then, that 35.7% of American adults are obese. Many more are at least 10 pounds overweight.

Exercise has many benefits. Some of these are clear as day while others are hidden. Research from many sources shows that exercise helps release hormones, like seratonin, which are shown to relieve daily stress. Further, regular exercise is shown to improve our self confidence. Of course, if we want to gain any of those benefits we need to get off our butts and start moving. Adults need a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise five times a week to maintain a healthy weight. If you want to get in the best shape of your life, however, you have to do more than the bare minimum. Here are five exercise routines for men to start trimming that beer belly.

  • Get Those Abs Ripped

    • It is often said that runners have the best butts and abs in the world, so why not take a page from one of the greats? Lolo Jones, American world champion hurdler, gives her six pack workouts to Runner’s World. Start out with supermans, bridges, and metronomes. Finish off this set of six pack abs exercises with plank lifts and side planks. This may be a woman’s workout routine, but it is one of the best sets of exercises for abs for men who want to look trim.

  • Go, Rocky!

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    Every man has at one time or other dreamed of getting into the boxing ring and mixing it up. Men’s Fitness offers a heavy bag workout that will allow you to live out that fantasy, if only in your head. By working the bag high and low with kicks and punches in sets of five, you build speed, strength, and stamina. One of the best exercise routines for men, this builds confidence on the street and in your head, while toughening those knuckles and arms.

  • Take to the Road

    • All exercise routines for men should incorporate a cardio portion. Lifting all the time is a great way to build muscle, but only through cardiovascular exercise are you going to trim the fat and define that muscle. The Mens Health workouts section features a story on cardio you can do off the treadmill. Try doing 10-meter sprints, jumping jack pyramids, and burpees to get yourself cut fast.

Consider Nutrition

Even the best exercise routines for men will not help you look leaner if you are constantly eating junk. WebMD recommends high quality carbohydrates, like whole wheats, and lean proteins, like chicken breast, to fuel your workouts while simultaneously cutting bad fats and sugars out of your diet.

Keep Track of Everything

If you want to know where you are going, you have to see where you have been. Use a work out chart for men to keep track of your daily exercise, calories burned, and food eaten. Keeping yourself accountable in this way is a big step to keeping you on track.

Whether you want to be a better runner, a sexier husband, or something in between, using these tips will get you there. It will take time and patience, but you will see a difference.