Gym workouts and weight loss are almost synonymous. They are even said in the same breath. Gym workout routines for weight loss can basically be divided into cardiovascular exercises and weightlifting exercises.

Cardiovascular exercises that can be done in the gym include exercises on a treadmill, an exercise bike or a cross-train machine. A 20-25 minute workout done daily will warm up your muscles to prepare it for more strenuous weightlifting exercises. Here are sample cardiovascular endurance exercises that you can do in the gym to facilitate weight loss:

1. Do treadmill exercises for 15-20 minutes at a speed you're most comfortable with. Only increase your speed when you feel comfortable doing so.

2. Stay on the exercise bike for 15-20 minutes. You can increase the incline or the resistance of your bike while riding at the same speed for a more intense workout.

3. Do step machines for 15-20 minutes. Step machines are like escalators that move downwards while you try to climb up. Increase speed when you're more comfortable.

4. Skip rope for 10-15 minutes without stopping. Lengthen your time if you can.

5. Do push ups explosively to develop muscular endurance. Do as many as you can in three sets, resting for two minutes in between sets.

Weightlifting exercises serve to increase muscle, burn calories and thus aid in weight loss. The chest, back and leg are the large muscles in your body while the biceps, triceps and shoulders comprise the small muscle group. In doing your weightlifting exercises for weight loss, you have a choice of working one muscle group each session or one big and one small muscle group. Because muscles need time to rest in order to be able to repair itself from the trauma, only do weightlifting exercises three times a week on alternate days. Here's a sample workout:

On Monday, work out your chest and shoulders. Do 20 push ups, dividing it in two sets with a couple of minutes rest in between. Follow this with flat bench presses and incline bench presses, each for 2 to 3 sets of ten repetitions each. For your shoulder workout, do shoulder presses, standing lateral raises and dumbbell shrugs again for 2 to 3 sets of 10 repetitions each. Rest the following day or do some light aerobic exercise.

On Wednesday, exercise your legs and biceps. Workout your legs first. Do 2 sets of free squats for 10 repetitions. Follow this with dumbbell lunges, calf raises, leg presses and leg extensions, each for 2 to 3 sets with 10 repetitions each. To work your biceps, start with 20 push ups. Follow this with preacher curls, barbell curls and hammer curls. Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions each. Again rest the following day.

On Friday, exercise your back and triceps. For the back, start with 20 push ups. Follow this with lat pull downs, machine rowing and dumbbell rows, each with 2 to 3 sets of 10 repetitions each. To work your triceps, do machine tricep extensions, tricep kickbacks and tricep dips. Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions each.