Cardio or strength, a lot or a little, dangerous or not, but will I become like that jack in the gym? Such questions pop up in your head when you want to lose weight and don't know where to start. I want to be slim and fit, not to relax, but also not to overdo my training. We share five universal weight loss rules for women and men that will help you correctly calculate the load and stay in shape.
Combine exercises
The first question that needs to be answered is what types of training should be included in a weight loss program, cardio or strength?
Cardio training is aerobic training that works intensively on the lungs and heart, and the heart rate increases above 120 beats per minute. At the same time, fats are the main source of energy, they are oxidized by oxygen. Unfortunately, these are not the fats that we first think of when we want to lose weight. In the beginning, intramuscular fats are consumed, and only the next phase is subcutaneous and visceral. Accordingly, to get a result, you need to 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 consume fat. It seems you can end there and opt for cardio. But no. Thanks to strength exercises, the volume of muscle mass increases and, as a result, the basal metabolism. Calories are spent more efficiently and the body no longer needs to "store" them for future use in the form of body fat.
For weight loss, strength training and cardio training should be alternated: for example, within one week or one session (combined training).
More base
From newcomers to the sports club, you may hear the phrase "I want to lose weight in my stomach" or "I just need to lose fat from 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 certainly be hidden under a layer of fatty tissue.
Any isolated exercise aimed at training one 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 you do that.
Basic exercises are called exercises in which several muscle groups and several joints are involved at once: 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 likes to exercise on simulators. To "lose weight in the hips" he usually 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, taking a 40 kg barbell and performing 10 squats, she 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 consumes 50-70% more energy and is therefore more effective.
Calculate the intensity of your training
The intensity of strength training can be simply 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 series, but 15 repetitions each, the indicator will increase to 240. Accordingly, the second training will be more intense.
Fat is most efficiently burned during 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 heart rate. Maximum 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 efficient fat burning, 60-85% of this figure, i. e. 114-161, is enough.
Number of training sessions
If for mass gain it is important that the muscles have time to recover after training, then in the case of weight loss it is not necessary. Accordingly, the number of training sessions 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, then the classes will have a minimal effect. It is optimal to do fitness 4-5 times a week.
At the same time, it is important to adhere to a general regimen, because fitness is not only exercise, but also a healthy lifestyle:
- sleep for at least 8 hours, otherwise stress tolerance decreases and motivation is lost;
- adhere to a strict drinking regimen to compensate for the lack of water and maintain water and salt metabolism;
- maintain a small calorie deficit (more on that below).
Pay attention to the food
Diet is an important factor in weight loss. A large amount of carbohydrates in the body inhibits fat oxidation. For example, if you eat sweets right before exercise, the suppression of fat burning can reach 35%.
Basic principles of nutrition for weight loss:
- Eat 20% fewer calories than you burn. Yes, you have to count calories, and the best way to do it is with meal planning apps. Popular products are listed there (some even have specific brands and manufacturers) with already calculated KBJU.
- 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, a smaller amount of substances will enter the stores.
- Be sure to refuel after your workout - even a light snack is better than nothing.
- Reduce fat and carbohydrates in your diet, but increase protein. They are mostly found in meat, eggs, low-fat cottage cheese.
Active physical activities, such as cleaning or going for a walk, can help reduce the urge to snack. 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 snacks and excuses from the "now there's no time to cook, tomorrow I'm starting to eat healthy" category are guaranteed.
If the recommendations do not help, and the constant feeling of hunger does not go away after a week or two, you should consult a doctor. This condition can be the result of hypothyroidism, excess prolactin or low sensitivity of the body to leptin, the hormone responsible for the feeling of satiety. Based on the test results, it will become clear how to adjust the diet and whether it is necessary to combine 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 large total load and require serious energy expenditure.
With cardio, everything is simple - you can run at an average pace and monitor 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 without being any less effective. You can also replace running with dancing, cycling, step dancing and aqua aerobics.
Finding adequate strength training exercises is much more difficult. Replicated training programs rarely take into account that someone wants to exercise at home and does not have the necessary equipment: dumbbells, bars, an exercise bench and even fitness bands. But there are a number of exercises that can help you get started without any preparation or equipment.
Without inventory:
- Push-ups on the bench.Instead of a bench, you can use stools or a stable chair. We stand with our backs to the bench, lean on it with our hands, slightly wider than our shoulders. We put our legs on the floor, straight or bent. We begin to push upwards and make sure that the body moves vertically up and down, and that it does not deviate forward or backward. The great advantage of this exercise is that it is easily adapted to any level of training. It is easiest to do push-ups with bent legs, but it is more difficult if you straighten them and put them on a rack.
- Lifting the pelvis in the supine positionaka gluteal bridge. We lie on the floor, hands next to the body, bend the legs at the knees. We begin to raise the pelvis, at the highest point we stop and strain the buttocks, and then lower ourselves back down.
- Hip extension on all fours. The exercise is not very basic, but it uses a lot of energy, it is good for them to complete the exercise for pumping the buttocks. Get on all fours, lean on your elbows and knees. Lift your right leg, trying to lift the knee (that is, the knee, not the toe) as high as possible. We hold the leg at the highest point and slowly lower it down, pulling it to the chest. We repeat with the left leg.
With rubber bands:
- Deadlift.One of the basic exercises that stresses mainly the buttocks, lower back and upper thighs. We take a long ring strip, folded in half, and stand on it in the middle. We hold the loops at the ends with our hands. The legs are slightly bent, in the lower part of the back we maintain a natural deflection, we do not cramp. We straighten the back and legs, making sure that the gluteal muscles work mainly, and lean back.
- Horizontal drag.We sit on the floor with our legs straight. We hold on to the long rubber band by the feet and lean forward. Straighten your shoulders, strain your back and raise your body straight, while pulling the band with your hands. We stay in this position and descend backwards. Exercise allows you not only to work on the relief, but also to stretch the 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 stick out of the socks - otherwise it is very easy to injure the knee joints. We squat until the thigh is parallel to the floor, and then return to the starting position. The lower you squat, the more your glutes work.
- Lunges.We take the dumbbells in our hands, stand on the right foot, and bring the left one back and place it on the toe. We start squatting on one leg (you can, of course, do a lunge, step forward, 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. Engaging the thigh muscles, we rise backwards. We repeat with the other leg.
In general, a training program aimed at weight loss should be dominated by core exercises and moderate-intensity cardio at a moderate heart rate. To increase muscle tone, you can add high-intensity training with light weights.
As you can see, fitness is not only about building muscles or "losing weight by summer", but also about 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 notmake you wait.