Cardio or strength, more or less, dangerous or not, but will I look like an athlete in the gym? When you want to lose weight and don't know where to start, these questions arise in your head. I want to be fit and in shape, not loose, but overworked. We share five universal rules of weight loss for women and men, which will help you calculate the load correctly and keep yourself in shape.
Combining exercises
The first question to answer is what types of exercise should be included in a weight loss program, cardio or strength?
Cardio training is aerobic exercise that intensively works the lungs and heart, with a heart rate of more than 120 beats per minute. In the process, fats are the main source of energy, they are oxidized by oxygen. Alas, these are not the first fats we think of when trying to lose weight. First, intramuscular fat is consumed, and at the next stage only subcutaneous and visceral. Therefore, to get the result, it is necessary to systematically do moderate intensity cardio lasting 40-60 minutes.
Strength training is anaerobic, during which energy is produced without the presence of oxygen, so the body does not use fat. Looks like you might be done with that and opt for cardio. But no. Due to strength exercises, the amount of muscle mass increases and, as a result, the main metabolism. Calories are used more efficiently, and the body no longer needs to "store" them for future use in the form of body fat.
For weight loss, strength and cardio exercises should be alternated: for example, during a week or during a session (combined training).
More base
"I want to lose weight on my stomach" or "I just need to get rid of the fat on my thighs" can be heard from people who are new to the gym. Unfortunately, this is not how fat burning works. Systematically pumping the press, you will certainly create a beautiful relief, but it is reliably hidden under a layer of fatty tissue.
Any isolated exercise aimed at training one muscle or muscle group does not require a lot of energy. But you need to spend more to burn fat effectively, and core exercises can 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 bridges, etc.
Let's look at an example. Let's imagine an average woman who weighs 65 kg, is afraid of heavy weights and loves to work out in the gym. To "lose weight in the hips", he often stretches the legs in the gym, doing 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 running 10 times, he burns 45 kcal.
In general, if we compare the caloric expenditure of training that includes only isolation exercises, it uses 50-70% more energy and is therefore more efficient.
Calculate your training intensity
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 perform 7 different exercises in 2 sets of 12 repetitions. The total number of repetitions is 168 per hour, which is the value of the intensity. If at the same time you do 8 exercises in 2 sets, but each of 15 repetitions, then the indicator will rise to 240. Accordingly, the second training will be more intense.
Fat is most effectively burned during long training sessions of medium intensity, which can vary by changing the number of repetitions and rest periods between sets.
The intensity of cardio training is determined by heart rate. The maximum number of beats per minute is considered "220 minus age". Thus, the maximum heart rate for a thirty-year-old person 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 exercises
If muscle recovery after training is important for mass, then it is not necessary for weight loss. Accordingly, the number of exercises can be increased.
The degree of fat oxidation can be increased within a month by regular exercise three times a week. If you practice less, the lessons will have minimal effect. Exercise 4-5 times a week is optimal.
At the same time, it is important to maintain a general regime, because not only physical exercises, but also a healthy lifestyle:
- sleep at least 8 hours, otherwise tolerance to stress decreases and motivation is lost;
- maintaining a strict drinking regimen to supplement water deficit and maintain water-salt exchange;
- maintain a slight calorie deficit (more on this below).
Pay attention to the food
Diet is an important factor in weight loss. A large amount of carbohydrates in the body inhibits the oxidation of fat. For example, eating sweets before exercise can reduce fat burning by up to 35%.
The main principles of nutrition for weight loss:
- Eat 20% fewer calories than you burn. Yes, you need to count calories, and it's most convenient to do so in meal planner apps. Popular products listed there (some even have well-known brands and manufacturers) are already accounted for by KBJU.
- Eat a lot in small portions. The longer the feeling of hunger lasts, the stronger the body's need to "store" energy. On the other hand, if you eat more often, you will store less of the substance.
- Remember to refuel after your workout – even a light snack is better than nothing.
- Reduce fats and carbohydrates in your diet, but increase proteins. Most of them are meat, eggs, low-fat cottage cheese.
Active physical activity, such as cleaning or walking, can help reduce food cravings. The areas of the brain responsible for satiety with food and water are confused, and thirst is mistaken 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 messy snacks and excuses from the "I don't have time to cook now, I'll start eating healthy tomorrow" category are guaranteed.
If the suggestions do not help and the constant feeling of hunger does not subside after a week or two, then you should consult a doctor. This condition can be caused by hypothyroidism, excess prolactin, or the body's sensitivity to the hormone leptin, which is responsible for satiety. Based on the results of the tests, it will be clear how to adjust the diet and whether to connect drug therapy or not.
Effective exercises for weight loss
Based on the principles described above, we have selected the most effective exercises for weight loss, which provide a high total load and require significant energy expenditure.
Everything is simple with cardio - you can run at a moderate pace and watch your heart rate. The disadvantage is that in this case the body receives significant shock loads. Cardio equipment, such as a stepper or an ellipsoid, allows you to reduce them while being more effective. You can also replace running with dancing, cycling, step and aqua aerobics.
Finding adequate exercises for strength training is much more difficult. In repetitive training programs, someone who wants to work out at home rarely takes into account that they do not have the necessary equipment: dumbbells, barbells, exercise benches, even fitness bands. But there are a number of exercises that can help you get started without any training or equipment.
Without inventory:
- Push-up.You can use a chair or a chair instead. We stand with our backs on the chair, leaning on it with our hands, slightly wider than our shoulders. We put our legs straight or bent. We begin to push up and make sure that the body moves vertically up and down and does not deviate either forward or backward. A big advantage of these exercises is that they are easy to adapt to any level of training. It is easiest to do push-ups with bent legs, but it is more difficult to straighten them and put them in a bench.
- Lying hip raiseaka gluteal bridge. We lie on the floor, arms along the body, legs bent at the knees. We start lifting the hips, at the highest point we proceed and straighten the hips, and come back down.
- Hip extension on all fours.The exercise is not very simple, but it uses a lot of energy, it is good for them to complete the exercise of pumping the hips. Get on all fours and rest on your elbows and knees. Lift the right leg up, trying to lift the knee (especially the toe, not the knee) as high as possible. Holding the leg at the highest point, slowly lower it down and pull it to the chest. We repeat with the left leg.
With rubbers:
- Deadlift.One of the main exercises, it loads mainly the hips, lower back and upper thighs. Take a long ring of ribbon folded in half and press it in the middle. We hold the loops at the ends with our hands. The legs are slightly bent, at the lower back we keep the natural deflection, bend. We straighten the back and legs, buttock muscles mainly work, and lean back.
- Horizontal capture.We sit on the floor, legs straight. We attach a long rubber band to our legs and lean forward. While pulling the tape with our hands, we straighten our shoulders, tighten our backs, and raise the body straight. We stop in this position and lower our back. Exercise allows you to not only work on terrain, but also stretch the muscles.
With chains (dumbbells, barbells):
- Squats.We take a dumbbell or put a weight in our hands. You can start with a weight of 1. 5 kg and gradually increase the load. We stand straight, legs slightly wider than shoulders. Let's start pribedit and make sure that the back is straight (it is possible to bend forward, but not more than 45 degrees), and the knees do not fall out with socks - otherwise it is very easy to injure the knee joints. Squat until the hips are parallel to the floor, then return to the starting position. The lower you squat, the more your lower back works.
- Lunges.We take dumbbells in our hands, stand on the right leg, take the left back and put it on the toes. We start squatting on one leg (you can, of course, step forward, but there is almost no difference in effectiveness). We check that the body does not bend, that the knee does not go beyond the toes. Pull the thigh muscles and rise again. We repeat with the other leg.
In general, a weight loss training program should focus on core exercises and moderate intensity cardio at a moderate heart rate. You can add light weight high intensity exercises to increase muscle tone.
As you can see, fitness is not only about building muscles or losing weight until summer, but also about a healthy lifestyle, systematic exercise, proper nutrition and well-being. If you build this system correctly, the desired result shown as a number on the scale will not wait for you.