Cardio or strength, more or less, dangerous or not, but will I become like that in the gym? Such questions arise in your mind when you want to lose weight and don't know where to start. I want to be slim and fit, not loose, but also not overworked. We share five popular weight loss rules for women and men that will help you correctly calculate the load and stay in shape.
Combination of exercises
The question that needs to be answered first is what forms of exercise should be included in a weight loss, cardio or strength program?
Cardiovascular training is an aerobic exercise that strengthens the lungs and heart, and raises the heart rate above 120 beats per minute. In the process, fats are the main source of energy, they are oxidized by oxygen. Alas, this is not the first fat that comes to mind when we want to lose weight. Initially, intramuscular fat is consumed, and only the next stage is subcutaneous and visceral. Accordingly, to achieve this result, you need to systematically do moderate intensity cardio for 40-60 minutes.
Strength training is anaerobic, in which energy is generated without the participation of oxygen, meaning the body does not burn fat. Looks like you could end up there and opt for cardio. But not. Thanks to strength training exercises, muscle mass increases and as a result, basal metabolism. Calories are consumed more efficiently and the body no longer needs to "store" them for future use as body fat.
To lose weight, it is recommended to alternate strength and cardio exercises: for example, within a week or a session (combination).
Add base
From people who are new to sports clubs, you may hear "I want to lose weight on my belly" or "I just need to get rid of fat from my thighs". Alas, fat burning doesn't work that way. By systematically injecting, you will of course create a beautiful relief area, but it will be safely hidden under a layer of fatty tissue.
Any individual exercise aimed at training a single muscle or muscle group does not require a large amount of energy. And to burn fat effectively, you need to spend more, and basic exercises will help with this.
Basic exercises are called exercises in which several muscle groups and multiple joints work at the same time: squats, deadlifts, lunges, gluteal bridges and others.
Let's see an example. Imagine an average woman who weighs 65 kg, is afraid of heavy weights and loves to work out on a simulator. To "lose fat on the hips", she regularly performs splits in the simulator, 15 repetitions with a weight of 15 kg. At the same time, it consumes only 32 kcal of energy. However, with a barbell weighing 40 kg and doing 10 squats, she will burn 45 kcal.
In general, if we compare the calorie burn of an exercise that includes only isolation exercises and an exercise that includes only compound exercises, the latter uses 50-70% more energy. quantity and thus it is more efficient.
Calculate your workout intensity
Strength training intensity can be simply calculated as the number of repetitions of an exercise per unit of time.
For example, you do a 60-minute workout where you do 7 different exercises in 2 sets of 12 times. The total number of repetitions is 168 per hour, which will be the intensity value. If in the same time you do 8 exercises in 2 sets, but 15 repetitions per set, the stat will increase to 240. Accordingly, the second set will be more intense.
Fat is burned most efficiently during long-term, moderate-intensity workouts, which can be varied by varying the number of repetitions and the rest time between sets.
Cardiovascular training intensity is determined by heart rate. The maximum number of beats per minute is calculated as "220 minus age". So for a thirty year old 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 practice times
If in order to gain mass it is important for the muscles to have time to recover after training, then in the case of weight loss this is not necessary. Accordingly, the number of workouts can be increased.
Fat oxidation levels can be increased in just one month of regular exercise three times a week. If you train less, then classes will have minimal effect. Exercising 4-5 times a week is optimal.
At the same time, it is important to adhere to the general regimen, because fitness is not only exercises, but also a healthy lifestyle:
- sleep for at least 8 hours, otherwise stress tolerance decreases and motivation is lost;
- follow a strict drinking regimen to compensate for the lack of water and maintain water-salt metabolism;
- maintain a small calorie deficit (more on that below).
Pay attention to food
Diet is an important factor in weight loss. A large amount of carbohydrates in the body will inhibit fat oxidation. For example, if you eat sweets right before exercise, the ability to inhibit fat burning can reach 35%.
The basic principles of nutrition for weight loss:
- Eat 20% fewer calories than you consume. Yes, you need to count calories and the most convenient way is to do this in a meal planning app. Popular products are listed there (some even have specific brands and manufacturers) with KBJU already calculated.
- Eat often in small portions. The longer we feel hungry, the stronger the body's need to "store" energy is expressed. Conversely, if you eat often, a smaller amount of the substance will go into storage.
- Make sure to replenish your energy after a workout - even a snack is better than nothing.
- Reduce dietary fat and carbohydrates, but increase protein. Most of them are found in low-fat meats, eggs, and cheeses.
Active physical activity, such as cleaning or going for a walk, can help reduce the urge to snack. It happens that the brain regions responsible for saturating food and water get confused and confuse thirst with hunger. Therefore, it is important to drink enough water - about 30-40 g of water per 1 kg of body weight per day. And, of course, plan meals, otherwise chaotic snacks and excuses ranging from "no time to cook now, tomorrow I'll start eating healthy food"guaranteed for you.
If the recommendations do not help and the persistent feeling of hunger does not subside after a week or two, you should consult a doctor. This condition can be caused by hypothyroidism, an excess of prolactin, or a low sensitivity of the body to leptin, the hormone responsible for satiety. Based on the results of the tests, it will become clear how to adjust the diet and whether drug therapy is necessary.
Effective weight loss exercises
Based on the principles described above, we have selected the most effective exercises for weight loss, which bring a high total load and require serious energy costs.
With cardio, things are simple - you can run while maintaining an average pace and monitor your heart rate. The disadvantage is that in this case, the body will receive a severe shock load. Cardiovascular equipment, such as a stepper or ellipsoid, allows you to reduce them, while being equally effective. You can also replace running with dancing, cycling, walking, and water aerobics.
Finding the right exercises for strength training is much harder. Replicated training programs rarely take into account that someone wants to work out at home and doesn't have the necessary equipment: dumbbells, barbells, benches, and even gymnastics rubber bands. But there are some exercises that can get you started with no preparation and gear.
No inventory:
- Push-ups on the couch.Instead of a bench, you can use a stool or a stable chair. We stand with our backs to the bench, our backs against the bench, our hands slightly wider than our shoulders. We put our feet on the floor, straight or bent. We start pushing up and make sure that the body moves up and down vertically and does not shift forward or backward. The great advantage of this exercise is that it is easy to adapt to all levels of training. Push-ups on bent legs are easiest, but it gets harder if you straighten them and place them on a stand.
- Lying on the pelvic flooralso called butt bridge. We lie on the floor, hands along the body, legs at the knees. We begin to raise the pelvis, at the highest point, we linger and tense the glutes, and lower again.
- Extend hips on all fours.The exercise is not quite basic but uses a lot of strength, which is very good for them when completing the butt pump exercise. Stand on all fours, elbows and knees. Raise your right leg, trying to get the knee (specifically the knee, not the toe) as high as possible. We keep the leg at the highest point and gently lower it, pulling it across the chest. We repeat with the left leg.
With rubber band:
- Deadlift.One of the basic exercises mainly works the glutes, lower back and upper thighs. We take a long roll of duct tape, fold it in half and step on it in the middle. We hold the loops at the top with our hands. The legs are slightly bent, in the lower back we maintain a natural deviation, not hunched. We straighten the back and legs, make sure the glutes are working mainly, and at the same time lean back.
- Horizontal drag.We sit on the floor, legs straight. We cling to a long rubber band at our feet and lean forward. We straighten our shoulders, stretch our backs, and straighten our bodies, while pulling the bandages with our hands. We linger in this position and lower ourselves. Exercise not only helps you relieve pain but also helps to stretch the muscles.
With dumbbells (dumbbells, dumbbells):
- Squat.We hold weights in our hands or put weights on. You can start with a weight of 1. 5 kg and gradually increase the load. I stand up straight, feet slightly wider than shoulders. We start squatting and make sure the back is straight (can lean forward but not more than 45 degrees), the knees do not protrude out of the socks - otherwise it is very easy to injure the knee joint. We squat until thighs are parallel to the floor, then return to the starting position. The lower you squat, the more your glutes work.
- Lung.We hold dumbbells in our hands, prop our right foot and then bring our left foot back and bring it to our toes. We start squatting on one leg (of course, you can do a crouch, step forward, but there is practically no difference in efficiency). We make sure that the body does not bend and the knees do not protrude beyond the toes. Acting on the thigh muscles, we increase again. We repeat with the other leg.
In general, an exercise program aimed at weight loss should consist mainly of basic exercises and moderate-intensity cardio with a moderate heart rate. To increase lean muscle, you can add high-intensity exercises with light weights.
As you can see, fitness is not just about building muscle or "losing summer weight", but a healthy lifestyle, systematic exercise, proper nutrition and health. And if you build this system correctly, the desirable results, represented by a number on the scale, won't keep you waiting.