Work Your Entire Body!

How much you elevate your metabolism after your workout is directly related to the amount of muscle you activate at any one time. So you'll want to focus on movements that work multiple muscles, as opposed to those that attempt to isolate muscle groups. For instance, you'll experience a much greater boost in metabolism by performing 10 repetitions of the squat, compared with 10 repetitions of an isolation exercise, such as the biceps curl. In addition, by training your whole body each session, you'll work the most muscle possible. A University of Wisconsin study found that when men performed a full-body workout involving just three big-muscle exercises -- the bench press, power clean, and squat -- their metabolisms were elevated for 39 hours afterward. What's more, they also burned a greater percentage of their calories from fat during this time, compared with men who didn't do a total-body workout. The take-home message is clear: Complete an intense full-body weight workout 3 days a week, resting a day between sessions, and you'll keep your metabolism humming along in a much higher gear at all times.