Cardio or strength, too much or too little, dangerous or not, but will I be like that athlete at the gym? These questions pop into your head when you want to lose weight and don't know where to start. I want to be slim and fit, not to let loose, but also not to overdo my workouts. We share five universal weight loss rules for women and men that will help you correctly calculate your load and stay in shape.
combine exercises
The question that needs to be answered first of all is what types of training should be included in the weight loss, cardio or strength program?
Cardio training is an aerobic workout that works the lungs and heart intensely, and the heart rate rises above 120 beats per minute. During it, fats are the main source of energy, they are oxidized by oxygen. Unfortunately, these are not the fats we think of first when we want to lose weight. Initially, intramuscular fats are consumed, and only the next step is subcutaneous and visceral. So, to get the result, you need to systematically do medium-intensity cardio lasting 40 to 60 minutes.
Strength training is anaerobic, during which energy is produced without the participation of oxygen, which means that the body does not consume fat. Looks like you might end up there and opt for cardio. But not. Thanks to strength exercises, the volume of muscle mass increases and, as a result, basal metabolism. Calories are spent more efficiently and the body no longer needs to "store" them for future use as body fat.
For weight loss, strength and cardio exercises should be alternated: for example, within a week or a session (combined training).
more base
From newcomers to a sports club, you may hear the phrase "I want to lose weight on my belly" or "I just need to get the fat off my thighs". Unfortunately, the fat burning process doesn't work that way. By systematically pumping the press, you will, of course, form a beautiful relief, but it will be well hidden under a layer of fatty tissue.
Any single exercise aimed at training a muscle or muscle group does not require a large amount of energy. And for effective fat burning, you need to spend more, and basic exercise will help with that.
Basic exercises are called exercises in which several muscle groups and more than one joint are involved at the same time: squats, deadlifts, lunges, gluteal bridge and others.
Let's look at an example. Let's imagine an average woman who weighs 65 kg, is afraid of heavy weights and loves working out on simulators. To "lose weight in the hips", she usually does leg extensions on the simulator, 15 repetitions with a weight of 15 kg. At the same time, it consumes only 32 kcal of energy. However, taking a 40 kg barbell and doing 10 squats, she will already spend 45 kcal.
In general, if we compare the caloric expenditure of a workout that includes only isolated exercises and a workout that consists only of compound exercises, the latter consumes 50-70% more energy and is therefore more effective.
Calculate the intensity of your workout
Strength training intensity can simply be calculated as the number of repetitions of an exercise per unit of time.
For example, you train for 60 minutes, during which you do 7 different exercises in 2 sets of 12 repetitions. The total number of repetitions is 168 per hour, this will be the intensity value. If at the same time you do 8 exercises in 2 sets, but 15 repetitions each, the indicator will rise to 240. Thus, the second workout will be more intense.
Fat is burned most effectively in long, medium-intensity workouts, which can be varied by changing the number of repetitions and rest time between sets.
The intensity of cardio training is determined by the pulse. The maximum number of beats per minute is calculated as "220 minus age". So, for a thirty-year-old person, the maximum heart rate during aerobic exercise will be 190 beats per minute, and for effective fat burning, 60-85% of this number is enough, i. e. 114-161.
number of workouts
If for mass gain it is important that the muscles have time to recover after training, in the case of weight loss this is not necessary. Thus, the number of exercises can be increased.
The degree of fat oxidation can be increased in just one month of regular exercise three times a week. If you train less, classes will have minimal effect. It is ideal to do fitness 4-5 times a week.
At the same time, it is important to observe the general regimen, because fitness is not just about exercise, but also about a healthy lifestyle:
- sleep for at least 8 hours, otherwise stress tolerance decreases and motivation is lost;
- observe a strict consumption regime to compensate for the lack of water and maintain the water-salt metabolism;
- maintain a small calorie deficit (more on this below).
Pay attention to food
Diet is an important factor in weight loss. A large amount of carbohydrates in the body inhibits the oxidation of fat. For example, if you eat sweets just before exercise, fat burning suppression can be as high as 35%.
The basics of nutrition for weight loss:
- Eat 20% fewer calories than you expend. Yes, you need to count calories, and it's more convenient to do that in meal planning apps. Popular products are listed there (some even have specific brands and manufacturers) with KBJU already calculated.
- Eat often in small portions. The longer we experience a feeling of hunger, the stronger the body's need to "store" energy becomes. On the other hand, if you eat frequently, less substance will enter the store.
- Be sure to replenish energy after a workout - even a light snack is better than nothing.
- Reduce fats and carbohydrates in the diet, but increase protein. Most of them are in meat, eggs, low-fat cottage cheese.
Active physical activities, such as cleaning or walking, can help reduce the urge to snack. It turns out that the areas of the brain responsible for saturating food and water get confused and confuse thirst with hunger. Therefore, it is important to drink plenty of water - around 30-40 g of water per 1 kg of body weight per day. And, of course, meal planning, otherwise chaotic snacks and excuses from the category "now I don't have time to cook, tomorrow I'm going to start eating healthy food" are guaranteed for you.
If the recommendations don't help and the constant feeling of hunger doesn't subside after a week or two, you should see a doctor. This condition may be due to hypothyroidism, excess prolactin, or the body's low sensitivity to leptin, the hormone responsible for feeling full. Based on the test results, it will become clear how to adjust the diet and whether it is necessary to connect drug therapy.
Effective weight loss exercises
Based on the principles described above, we have chosen the most effective exercises for weight loss, which provide a high overall load and require high energy costs.
With cardio, everything is simple - you can run at an average pace and watch your heart rate. The downside is that in this case the body will receive serious shock loads. Cardio equipment, such as a stepper or an ellipsoid, allows you to reduce them, but they are no less effective. You can also replace running with dancing, cycling, stepping and water aerobics.
Finding suitable strength training exercises is much more difficult. Replicated training programs rarely take into account that someone wants to exercise at home and doesn't have the necessary equipment: dumbbells, dumbbells, training bench and even gymnastics bands. But there are a number of exercises that can help you get started without preparation and equipment.
No inventory:
- Bank flexes.Instead of a bench, you can use a stool or a stable chair. We stand with our backs to the bench, rest on it with our hands, slightly wider than our shoulders. We place the legs on the floor, straight or bent. We start pushing up and make sure the body moves vertically up and down and doesn't swerve forwards or backwards. The great advantage of this exercise is the ease of adaptation to any level of training. It's easier to do push-ups with your legs bent, but it's more difficult if you straighten them and place them on a stand.
- Lying pelvic liftalso known as gluteal bridge. We lie on the floor, arms along the body, bend the legs at the knees. We start lifting the pelvis, at the highest point, linger and stretch the buttocks and come back down.
- Four-quarter hip extension.The exercise is not very basic but it consumes a lot of energy, it is good for them to complete the buttocks pumping workout. Get on all fours, rest on your elbows and knees. Lift your right leg, trying to lift your knee (ie your knee, not your toe) as high as possible. We hold the leg at the highest point and gently lower it, pulling it towards the chest. We repeat with the left foot.
With elastics:
- Deadlift.One of the core exercises that primarily loads the glutes, lower back, and upper thigh. We take a long ring ribbon, folded in half, and step on it in the middle. We hold the loops at the ends with our hands. The legs are slightly bent, in the lower back we maintain a natural deflection, we do not bend over. We straighten the back and legs, making sure the gluteal muscles work primarily, and lean back.
- Horizontal traction.We sat on the floor, legs straight. We grabbed a long rubber band by the feet and leaned forward. We straighten the shoulders, stretch the back and lift the body straight, while pulling the tape with our hands. We remain in that position and lower ourselves backwards. Exercise allows you to not only work on relief, but also stretch your muscles.
With weights (dumbbells, weights):
- Squats.We take dumbbells in our hands or put on weights. You can start with a weight of 1. 5 kg and gradually increase the load. We stand straight, legs slightly wider than shoulders. We start squatting and make sure that the back is straight (it is possible to lean forward, but not more than 45 degrees), and the knees do not protrude beyond the socks - otherwise it is very easy to injure the knee joints . We squat down until the thigh is parallel to the floor and then come back to the starting position. The lower you squat, the harder your glutes work.
- lunges.We take dumbbells in our hands, stand on the right foot and take the left one back and put it on the toe. We start squatting on one leg (you can, of course, do lunges, step forward, but there is practically no difference in efficiency). We ensure that the body does not bend and the knee does not protrude beyond the toe. Engaging the thigh muscles, we stand up. We repeat with the other leg.
In general, a training program aimed at losing weight should be dominated by basic exercise and moderate-intensity cardio at a moderate heart rate. To increase muscle tone, you can add high-intensity exercises with light weights.
As you can see, fitness is not just about building muscle or "losing weight in the summer", but about a healthy lifestyle, systematic exercise, proper nutrition and well-being. And if you build this system right, the coveted result, expressed as a number on the scale, won't keep you waiting.