Cardio or strength, more or less, dangerous or not, but will I become that jock in the gym? These are the questions that pop into your head when you want to lose weight and don't know where to start. I want to be lean and fit, not loose but also not over exercising. We share five universal weight loss rules for men and women that will help you calculate the load correctly and stay in shape.
Combine exercises
The first question that needs to be answered is what type of exercise should be included in a weight loss program, cardio or weight training?
Cardio exercise is aerobic exercise that intensively works the lungs and heart, and the heart rate exceeds 120 beats per minute. At this time, 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 stage is subcutaneous and visceral. Therefore, to get results, you should systematically do moderate intensity cardio for 40-60 minutes.
Strength training is anaerobic, during which energy is produced without the participation of oxygen, which means that the body does not use fat. It looks like you can finish and choose cardio. But no. Thanks to strength training, the volume of muscle mass increases and, as a result, the basal metabolism. Calories are used more efficiently and the body no longer needs to "store" them for later use as body fat.
For weight loss, strength and cardio exercises should be alternated: for example, during a week or during one session (combined training).
More bases
You can hear the phrase "I want to lose weight in my stomach" or "I just need to get rid of fat from my thighs" from the new members of the sports club. Unfortunately, the fat burning process doesn't work like that. By systematically pumping up the press, you will, of course, create a beautiful relief, but it will be safely hidden under a layer of fatty tissue.
Any isolated exercise that targets a single muscle or muscle group does not require a lot of energy. For effective fat burning, you need to spend more, and basic exercises will help you with this.
Basic exercises are called exercises in which several muscle groups and more than one joint are simultaneously involved: 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 to exercise on the treadmill. "To lose weight in the hips", he most 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, picking up a 40 kg barbell and doing 10 squats will already burn 45 kcal.
In general, if we compare the caloric expenditure of training that includes only isolation exercises and training that consists only of complex exercises, the latter expends 50-70% more energy and is therefore more efficient.
Calculate your exercise intensity
The intensity of strength training can be simply calculated as the number of repetitions of the 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 with 15 repetitions each, the figure will increase to 240. Therefore, the second training will be more intense.
Fat is most efficiently burned during long-term moderate-intensity exercise, which can be modified by varying the number of repetitions and rest time between sets.
The pulse determines the intensity of cardio training. 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 rate, i. e. 114-161, is enough.
number of exercises
If for mass gain it is important that the muscles have time to recover after training, then it is not necessary for weight loss. Accordingly, 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 exercise less, then the classes will have minimal effect. It is optimal to do fitness 4-5 times a week.
At the same time, it is important to follow a general regimen, because fitness is not only exercise, but also a healthy lifestyle:
- sleep at least 8 hours, otherwise stress tolerance decreases and motivation is lost;
- Follow a strict drinking regimen to compensate for water loss and maintain water-salt metabolism;
- Maintain a small calorie deficit (see 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 fats. For example, if you eat sweets before exercise, the inhibition 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 the easiest way to do that is with meal planner apps. Popular products are listed there (some even have specific brands and manufacturers) KBJU already calculated.
- Eat small portions often. The longer we experience the feeling of hunger, the stronger the body's need to "store" energy. On the contrary, if you eat often, less substances will come into the store.
- Be sure to refuel after exercise – even a light snack is better than nothing.
- Reduce fats and carbohydrates in the diet, but increase proteins. Most of them are in meat, eggs, low-fat cottage cheese.
Active physical activities, such as cleaning or walking, can help reduce food cravings. It happens that the areas of the brain responsible for satiety with food and water get confused and mistake thirst for 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 your meals, otherwise chaotic meals and excuses from the category of "I don't have time to eat now, I'll start eating healthy tomorrow" are 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 can be caused by hypothyroidism, an excess of prolactin or a low sensitivity of the body to leptin, the hormone responsible for the feeling of fullness. Based on the results of the tests, it will be clear how to adjust the diet and whether it is necessary to connect drug therapy.
Effective exercises for weight loss
Based on the principles described above, we have selected the most effective exercises for weight loss, which provide a total load and require serious energy expenditure.
Cardio is easy - you can run at a moderate pace and watch your heart rate. The disadvantage is that in this case the body will receive serious shock loads. Cardio equipment, such as a stepper or elliptical, allows you to reduce them, while being no less effective. You can also replace running with dancing, cycling, stepping and aqua aerobics.
Finding adequate exercises for strength training is much more difficult. Repetitive training programs rarely take into account that someone wants to exercise at home and does not have the necessary equipment: dumbbells, barbells, an exercise bench and even fitness rubber bands. But there are a number of exercises that can help you get started without training or equipment.
Without inventory:
- bench press.Instead of a chair, you can use a chair or a stable chair. We stand with our backs on the chair, leaning on it with our hands, slightly wider than the shoulders. We put our legs on the floor, straight or bent. We begin to climb and make sure that the body moves vertically up and down and does not tilt forward or backward. The great thing about this exercise is that it is easily adaptable to any level of fitness. It is easiest to do push-ups on bent legs, but it is more difficult if you straighten them and put them on a stand.
- Lying pelvic liftgluteal bridge. We lie on the floor, arms along the body, legs bent at the knees. We start lifting the pelvis, stop at the highest point and tighten the buttocks and walk back.
- hip extension on all fours.The exercise is not very basic, but it uses a lot of energy, it is good for them to finish the exercise to pump up the buttocks. Get on all fours, resting on your elbows and knees. Lift your right leg up, try to lift the knee (especially the knee, not the toe) as high as possible. We hold the leg at the highest point and gently lower it down, pulling on the chest. We repeat with the left leg.
with rubber bands:
- Deadlift.One of the main exercises that loads mainly the buttocks, back and upper thigh. We take a long ribbon folded in half and step on the middle. We hold the loops on the ends with our hands. The legs are slightly bent, in the lower part of the back we maintain the natural deviation, we do not bend. We straighten the back and legs, making sure that the gluteal muscles mainly work and lean back.
- horizontal pull.We sit on the floor, legs are straightened. We hold a long rubber band by our feet and lean forward. We straighten our shoulders, tense our back and raise our body straight, and we pull the tape with our hands. We stop in this position and pull back. Exercise allows you not only to work on the terrain, but also to stretch the muscles.
With weights (dumbbells, weights):
- squats.We hold dumbbells in our hands or carry weight. You can start with a weight of 1. 5 kg and gradually increase the load. We stand straight, legs slightly wider than shoulders. We begin to squat 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 sit until the thigh is parallel to the floor, and then we return to the starting position. The lower you sit, the more your glutes work.
- Lunges.We take the dumbbells in our hands, stand on the right leg, take the left back and put it on the finger. We start squatting on one leg (of course, you can do lunges, go forward, but there is practically no difference in effectiveness). We make sure that the body does not bend, and the knee does not go beyond the toe. By engaging the thigh muscles, we stand back. We repeat with the other leg.
In general, an exercise program aimed at weight loss is dominated by core exercises and moderate intensity cardio at a moderate heart rate. You can add high-intensity exercises with light weights to increase muscle tone.
As you can see, fitness is not just about building muscles or "losing weight for the summer", but a healthy lifestyle, systematic exercise, proper nutrition and well-being. And if you build this system correctly, then the desired result, expressed as a number on the scale, will not wait for you.