Cardio or strength, high or low, dangerous or not, but will I be like that jock at 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 break loose, but don't overdo it with training. We women andWe share five universal weight loss rules for men that will help you correctly calculate the load and keep yourself in shape.
mix up exercise
The first question that needs to be answered is, what type of training should be included in a weight loss program, cardio or strength?
Cardio training is an aerobic workout that intensively works the lungs and heart, and increases the heart rate to above 120 beats per minute. During this, fats are the main source of energy, they are oxidized by oxygen. Alas, theseThey are not the fats we first think about when we need to lose weight. Initially, intramuscular fat is consumed, and only the next step is subcutaneous and visceral. Accordingly, to get the result, you need to systematically do cardio of moderate intensity lasting 40-60 minutes.
Strength training is anaerobic, during which energy is produced without the participation of oxygen, which means that the body does not consume fat. It would seem that you can end there and opt for cardio. But no. Thanks to strength exercises, muscle mass increases and, as a result, basal metabolism. Calories are spent more efficiently, and the body needs to "store" them for future use as body fatDoesn't happen.
For weight loss, strength and cardio exercises should be alternated: for example, within a week or one session (combined training).
more base
From newcomers to sports clubs, you may hear the phrase "I want to lose weight in my stomach" or "I need to remove fat from my thighs. " Alas, the fat burning process doesn't work that way. Pumping up the press systematically, you will certainly create a beautiful relief, but it will remain securely hidden under a layer of adipose tissue.
Any isolated exercise aimed at training one muscle or muscle group does not require a large amount of energy. And for effective fat burning, you need to spend more, and basic exercises will help with this.
Basic exercises are called exercises that involve several muscle groups and more than one joint at once: squats, deadlifts, lunges, gluteal bridges and others.
Let's look at an example. Let's imagine that an average woman who weighs 65 kg is afraid of heavy weights and prefers to work on simulators. To "lose weight in the hips", she often does leg extensions in the simulator, 15 repetitions with a weight of 15 kg. At the same time, it consumes only 32 kcal of energy. However, after taking a barbell weighing 40 kg and doing 10 squats, she will already expend 45 kcal.
In general, if we compare the caloric expenditure of a workout that includes only isolation exercises and a workout that consists only of compound exercises, the latter uses 50-70% more energy, and is therefore more effective. it happens.
Calculate the intensity of your workout
Strength training intensity can be calculated as the number of repetitions of an exercise per unit time.
For example, you train for 60 minutes, during which you perform 7 different exercises in 2 sets of 12 reps. The total number of repetitions is 168 per hour, this would be the value of intensity. If at the same timeYou perform 8 exercises in 2 sets, but 15 repetitions each, then the indicator will increase to 240. Accordingly, the second workout will be more intense.
Fat is most effectively burned on long workouts of moderate intensity, which can be varied by varying the number of repetitions and the rest time between sets.
The intensity of cardio training is determined by pulse. 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 is 190 beats per minute. And for effective fat burning, 60-85% of this figure is enough, that is, 114-161.
number of workouts
If for mass gain it is important that the muscles have time to recover after training, then this is not necessary in the case of weight loss. Accordingly, the number of workouts 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, the effect of classes will be minimal. It is optimal to do fitness 4-5 times a week.
At the same time, it is important to follow the general regime, because fitness is not only about exercise, but also about a healthy lifestyle:
- get at least 8 hours of sleep, otherwise tolerance to stress decreases and motivation is lost;
- adhere to a strict drinking regime to meet water deficit and maintain water-salt metabolism;
- Maintain a small caloric deficit (more on that below).
focus on diet
Diet is an important factor in losing weight. Large amounts of carbohydrates in the body inhibit the oxidation of fats. For example, if you eat sweets just before exercise, the suppression of fat burning can reach up to 35%.
Basic principles of nutrition for weight loss:
- Eat 20% fewer calories than you expend. Yes, you need to count calories, and it's most convenient to do so in meal planner apps. Popular products are listed there (some even have specific brands and manufacturers) from KBJUwith has already been calculated.
- Eat often in small portions. The longer we experience the feeling of hunger, the stronger the body's need to "store" energy. Conversely, if you eat often, small amounts of the substance go into stockWill go
- Be sure to replenish energy after a workout – even a light snack is better than nothing.
- Reduce fat 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 desire to snack. It happens that the areas of the brain responsible for saturating food and water become confused and thirst for hunger is forgotten. , It is important to drink enough water - about 30-40 grams of water per 1 kg of body weight per day. And, of course, plan meals, otherwise chaotic snacks and excuses "Now is not the time to cook, Tomorrow I will start eating healthy food" is guaranteed.
If the recommendations do not help and the constant feeling of hunger does not subside after a week or two, you should consult a doctor. This condition is hypothyroidism, an excess of prolactin, or a reduced sensitivity of the body to leptin, a feeling of fullness. May be due to hormones responsible for. Based on the results of the tests, it will become clear how to adjust the diet and whether it is necessary to add drug therapy.
effective exercise for weight loss
Based on the principles described above, we have selected the most effective exercises for weight loss, which provide a high overall load and require serious energy costs.
With cardio, everything is simple - you can run while maintaining an average pace and watching your heart rate. The disadvantage is that in this case the body will receive serious shock loads. Cardio equipment, such as steppers or ellipsoids, requires youAllows them to reduce, despite being less effective. You can also replace running with dancing, cycling, step and aqua aerobics.
Finding enough exercises for strength training is far more difficult. Repetitive training programs rarely take into account that one wants to work out at home and does not have the necessary equipment: dumbbells, barbells, a training bench, and evenThat fitness rubber band too. But there are many exercises that can help you get started without any preparation and equipment.
Without Inventory:
- Bench Push-ups.Instead of a bench, you can use a stool or a stationary chair. We stand with our backs to the bench, we rest our hands against it, a little wider than our shoulders. We put our feet on the floorKeeping, straight or bent. We start pushing and make sure that the body moves vertically up and down, and does not deviate forward or backward. The biggest advantage of this exercise is that it can be performed for any level. It is easy to adapt to training. Push-ups are easiest to do on bent legs, but more difficult if you put them on a stand with straight legs.
- recumbent pelvic liftaka gluteal bridge. We lie down on the floor, hands along the body, legs bent at the knees. We begin to raise the pelvis, at the highest point we bend and press the buttocks, and descend.
- Hip extension on all fours.The exercise is not at all basic, but it uses a lot of energy, it is good for them to complete the workout to pump up the buttocks. Sit on all fours, resting on your elbows and knees. Raise the right leg up, Try to raise the knee (ie the knee, not the toe) as high as possible. We hold the leg at the highest point and slowly lower it, pulling it to the chest. We repeat with the left leg.
With rubber band:
- Deadlift.One of the basic exercises that mainly loads the buttocks, lower back and upper thigh. We take a long ring tape, folded in half, and step on it in the middle. We put the loops on ourhold with hands. Legs are slightly bent, in the lower back we maintain a natural deflection, we do not bend. We straighten the back and legs, making sure that the gluteal muscles work primarilyand leans back.
- horizontal pull.We sit on the floor, legs straight. We cling to the legs with a long rubber band and lean forward. We straighten our shoulders, putting pressure on our back and body, pulling the tape with our handsraises upright. We stop in this position and lower ourselves back down. Exercise allows you not only to work on the relief, but also to stretch the muscles.
With weights (dumbbells, weights):
- squats.We take dumbbells or apply weights in our hands. You can start with a weight of 1. 5 kg and gradually increase the load. We stand straight, legs a little wider than the shoulders. We begin to sitand 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 sit untilDon't let the thighs become parallel to the floor, and then return to the starting position. The lower you squat, the more work your glutes will do.
- Lungs.We take dumbbells in our hands, stand on the right foot, and take the left and put it on the toe. We begin to sit on one leg (you can of course do lunges, movingdone, but there is practically no difference in efficiency). We make sure that the body does not bend and the knee does not protrude beyond the toe. By engaging the thigh muscles, we rise back. We repeat with the other leg.
In general, a training program aimed at losing weight should consist of basic exercise and moderate-intensity cardio dominated by a moderate heart rate. To increase muscle tone, you can combine high-intensity workouts with light weights. Huh.
As you can see, fitness is not only about building muscle or "losing weight in the summer", but also about a healthy lifestyle, systematic exercise, proper nutrition and wellness. Created correctly, the desired result, which is expressed as a number on the scales, will not keep you waiting.