There is no magic pill and nothing better for weight loss than diet and exercise has yet been invented. Moreover, one does not work without the other. But even simple weight loss exercises will help you increase your activity, burn calories and have a fit body.
So you've decided to lose your excess weight. Which way will you need to go?
- Understand your diet so you don't eat more than your body needs.
- Review your daily routine, get enough rest and sleep because fats are burned during sleep.
- Learn a little theory about how the body works, how muscles grow and fat is burned.
- Purchase athletic clothing and athletic shoes to prevent injury during training.
- Try different exercises and choose the type of activity you like.
- Workout 3-4 times a week, maintaining a calorie deficit.
- Enjoy your new lifestyle and body.
By following this plan, you can lose weight and stay fit through exercise and nutrition. Now let's take a closer look.
Proper nutrition for weight loss
The most important thing when losing weight is nutrition. No matter what workout you choose, you can't do it without understanding your diet. We will not load you with information about calories and diets, but we will give the basic rules that will help you get rid of extra pounds. The fitness trainer says 80-90% of weight loss success is nutrition. Your goal is to spend more than you consume. Exercise can help you speed up the fat burning process and increase the number of calories burned, but the basis of everything is nutrition.
The instructor recommends:
- Never feel hungry. The hungrier a person is, the more he eats. When you feel slightly hungry, it is time to eat because you will eat much more in half an hour or an hour.
- Continue your previous diet, but have one scoop of your usual serving each day. This is a very small amount, but when you look at it for a week, you will see that there are seven spoons less per meal. The stomach gets used to it quickly, it starts to shrink and you feel full with less food.
- Do not overeat. There's no need to wait for that "wow, I'm full" feeling. The feeling of fullness comes 15-20 minutes after eating. Only after this period can it be objectively evaluated whether a person is full or not. When it becomes difficult to breathe, it is better to leave the table full, but not gluttony.
Proper nutrition when losing weight should mainly be protein and fat. Eat more meat, cottage cheese, eggs, fish. Do not forget about vegetables, cereals and whole grain bread. Healthy fats can be obtained from red fish, nuts and avocados. This type of nutrition will not leave you hungry and will help you get all the necessary nutrients.
The diet should be balanced and varied so that there is no desire to spoil it. But if you really want to remember the taste of cake and chips, then you can eat the "forbidden" foods little by little. It is believed that if you eat 90% correctly, you can cover 10% of high-calorie foods.
Should you diet or count calories? Everyone chooses the nutrition system that suits them. When you diet, you eliminate certain foods and thus reduce the calorie content of your diet.
Recommendation.Try creating a menu for the week with recipes you enjoy. There is nothing magic about PP recipes and they are usually higher in calories than regular recipes and desserts made with almond flour are very time consuming. Stick to simple whole foods and protein foods. Don't like oatmeal? Have breakfast with scrambled eggs and vegetables. You need a flexible approach to your diet because a healthy lifestyle stays with you for life.
Do not forget to maintain the drinking regime, especially during active sports. Always have a bottle of water on hand. If drinking plain water is difficult, add lemon juice or mint leaves.
What to choose: do you train at home or in the gym?
Everyone chooses where to train: at home or in the gym. Both options have pros and cons.
If you signed up for group training in a fitness club, you need to go to the gym, pay a subscription and stick to the program. But it is equipped with all the necessary equipment and exercise equipment for effective weight loss.
Home exercises have become very popular lately. There is no need to go anywhere and stick to a plan and schedule. But doing the exercises correctly requires a strong will and some physical training.
Exercises to lose weight at home and in the gym are not much different. They must be effective, high-intensity and diverse. You can strengthen your abdominal muscles at home and in the gym with equal success. You can study with an instructor via video call.
What you need to start training: equipment and clothing
If you are practicing at home, a mat will be useful. If it is included in your training program, you may need small dumbbells of 2 and 5 kg and fitness bands. In fact, you can exercise without needing any equipment, and do fat-burning cardio and strength training with your own weight, without the need for special equipment. There is everything you need in the gym.
In any case, you will need clothes for sports:
- sneakers with good cushioning and ventilation;
- leggings or well-stretched sweatpants;
- a few t-shirts made of synthetic fabric (cotton takes a long time to dry from sweat);
- sports top for women.
This is an essential set you can't do without at the gym or at home. You'll also need a water container and, if possible, a fitness bracelet or watch with a heart rate function.
Recommendation.Bring a small towel with you to the gym. You will need to place it on exercise equipment while exercising.
Types and types of training and exercise: what to choose?
Various types of exercises and workouts are effective in losing weight. This is explained by the individual characteristics of the body. The most effective type of training is considered aerobic (cardio). However, anaerobic (strength) exercise is also needed to prevent the skin from sagging after losing weight.
Let's find out what basic types of training exist for losing weight when training in the gym and at home. You will understand why different types of activities are needed to get in shape successfully. And finally, decide what is better: cardio or strength exercises?
strength exercises
Strength training is aimed at hypertrophy, that is, muscle growth. In fact, strength training speeds up your metabolism, but slowly. Typically, those who lose weight choose other types of workouts, and there's a reason for that.
What are the benefits of strength training for weight loss?
- After strength training, the body burns calories to recover.
- When working "to failure", microtraumas occur in the muscles, and the body spends energy to repair them.
- Muscles need much more energy to be "maintained" than fat.
- In interval training, there are elements of strength exercises that for their successful implementation you must first master the basic correct execution.
It is a myth that strength training is only suitable for men. Women can also successfully lose weight and sculpt a figure with the help of squats, lunges and weight training with dumbbells and barbells. For effective weight loss, you need to do strength training 2-3 times a week, alternating with cardio.
cardio exercises
Cardio exercise is an excellent option for weight loss. They lead to rapid fat burning and at the same time pump the heart muscle and respiratory system. You can do cardio at home and in the gym. It may not always be a high-intensity workout, but burning fat will take some effort. And beginners need to join training gradually.
Best Cardio Exercises:
- side step with arms raised;
- boxing;
- burpees;
- kicks in the side;
- lifting knees from a lunge;
- Skipping rope.
Cardio exercise is beneficial for both men and women. For weight loss, you need to exercise for 40-50 minutes 3-4 times a week. You can complete your strength training by walking fast on the treadmill or using an elliptical machine.
aerobic training
Aerobic exercise helps you lose weight and improves the functioning of your heart and blood vessels. While performing these, the body consumes large amounts of oxygen. These exercises make the person more durable. Aerobics is considered the best way to burn calories.
Aerobic exercise, or cardio exercise as it is popularly known, is the best exercise for losing weight. This includes running, intense exercise cycling, elliptical, and brisk walking on the treadmill. The important thing is that the fat burning process starts within 30 minutes. Training should last 40-60 minutes, but it is better to start with 10-15 minutes, adding 2-3 minutes every day.
Aerobic exercise; Includes running, dancing, group sports and skating. In short, any load that makes your heart beat faster. But to properly burn fat through aerobics, you need to adhere to a certain heart rate zone.
Aerobic exercise can be done every day. If you alternate them with other types of exercise, twice a week is enough.
anaerobic training
During anaerobic training, the body receives energy without oxygen. Muscles use glycogen (a product of the breakdown of glucose) accumulated in the blood. These are strength training and short distance running in the gym, aimed at developing and strengthening muscles. They do not use fat as energy.
Anaerobic exercise burns fewer calories than aerobic exercise. So how can these be useful for you? The fact is that muscles spend energy for some time after anaerobic exercise - 12-36 hours. You'll also burn fewer calories at rest due to muscle growth. However, trainers still agree that aerobic exercise is more effective in losing weight.
interval training
To lose weight quickly, you need intense but not tiring exercises that you can do regularly. HIIT (or HIIT in English) - interval training - suits your goals. They are suitable for beginners and experienced athletes. Just adjust the speed depending on the degree of readiness.
A good example of HIIT is Tabata. Exercises should be performed quickly (but efficiently) for 20-60 seconds. After this you rest for 10-40 seconds. The longer your rest interval, the less intense the workout. A HIIT workout might look like this:
- running in place;
- spat;
- squat floors;
- exam;
- Pull your knees towards your belly in a plank.
As a rule, a circle consists of 5-6 exercises. Most often this is training with your own weight. Beginners can do three rounds, advanced levels can do five rounds. Exercises can be repeated, but there is an option where each interval is aimed at working specific muscle groups.
Thanks to this scheme, you will wipe away your sweat in half an hour and be breathless with the happiness that you managed to burn an extra 300-500 calories.
Warming up before exercise for weight loss: is it necessary or not?
Here trainers agree: warming up before weight loss exercises is a must. Physical warm-up takes 5-10 minutes but will help you prepare for training, prevent injuries and warm up all muscles and joints.
You need to warm up before training, or even before stretching. Do the simplest warm-up exercises:
- Turn your head slowly clockwise and counterclockwise 3-4 times.
- Make circular movements with your arms forward and backward approximately 5-10 times.
- Extend your arms away from your chest 5-10 times.
- Rotate your pelvis 5 times in both directions.
- With straight legs, make 5-10 bends towards your toes.
- Make 5-10 folds in both directions.
- Rotate your hips.
- Stretch your hands and ankles.
After your warm-up exercises, you can walk on the treadmill at a fast pace for 10-15 minutes to warm up. Then proceed towards the main complex.
Exercises to lose belly fat: crunches, leg lifts, vacuum
It is impossible to lose weight from any one area because fat leaves the body more or less evenly. However, to lose weight from your abdomen and sides, you can tighten your skin and strengthen your abdominal muscles with exercises. These are basic strength exercises that will help you burn some more calories.
Exercises to lose belly fat are no different for men and women: the technique is the same for everyone. The important thing is to train correctly and regularly, and then, if you have a calorie deficit and sufficient basic activity, you will get the relief you want. When this happens—in a week, a month, or six months—depends on your body and nutrition.
Ab crunch: straight, reverse, side
Lying press crunch technique:
- Lie on your back on the mat with your knees bent.
- Tuck your chin to your chest and clasp your palms behind your head.
- As you exhale, lift your body slightly and lift your shoulder blades off the mat.
- Tighten your abdominal muscles.
- As you inhale, slowly lower yourself onto the mat without straightening yourself completely.
You don't need to rise too high, lift your chin from your chest and pull yourself forward with your arms. The press should be constantly tense.
Reverse crunches on the floorThis is an exercise in which you need to lift your legs while tightening your lower abdominal muscles:
- Lie on your back on the mat.
- Bend your knees and bring your heels together so that your legs are parallel to the floor.
- As you exhale, lift your hips and butt off the floor, shifting your weight onto your shoulder blades and pulling your knees toward your chest.
- As you inhale, return to the starting position without straightening your legs completely. Keep your abdominal muscles tense at all times.
Straight and reverse crunches can be performed on a bench, holding the bench with your hands behind your head.
side crunchesThe lateral muscles of the abdominal muscles are strengthened. It is convenient to perform lateral exercise on the hyperextension machine:
- Adjust the height so that the top of the exercise pad is at pelvis level.
- Starting position - legs resting on the base of the simulator, body straight, arms at chest level.
- As you exhale, bend your body downwards and as you inhale, return to the starting position.
Lateral exercise should be performed using oblique abdominal muscles, and not by inertia.
Number of repetitions and approaches. For beginner men and women, three sets of 20 repetitions of abdominal exercises are sufficient. You can do the exercise at the beginning or end of strength training, in the morning, afternoon or evening.
periodicity. At least once a week. The result of abdominal crunches depends on the structure. You can switch between forward, backward and side crunches.
Exercises to lose weight on the sides: plank, bends, swings
It is not possible to lift the sides with weight loss exercises alone. To burn stored fat, you need to maintain a calorie deficit and move more. Planks, leg swings and bends are very energy-intensive exercises and will help you lose excess weight by giving your body beautiful curves.
A set of exercises for losing weight on the sides at home should include exercises for the oblique abdominal muscles. These training elements combined together will help you quickly remove fat deposits around your waist.
Side plank: Strengthens all muscles
One of the basic exercises that allows you to shape your waist while working your abdominal muscles, back, leg and arm muscles. It can be done without special equipment. The side plank has a simple technique:
- Get into a regular plank position, standing on your forearms and toes.
- Turn around and shift your weight to one side of your body.
- Tighten your abdomen and straighten your body, taking support from your forearm and ankle.
- Return to starting position - a regular plank.
For those who are advanced in side plank, you can add crunches to work your arm muscles and crunches to pump up your abs.
Number of repetitions and approaches. It is enough to hold a static exercise for 30 seconds, gradually increasing the duration. The exercise is performed in a single approach.
periodicity. You can complete every workout with side plank.
Side folds: remove the sides
Bending will not help burn fat in the problem area, but it will strengthen the corset muscles that support the spine. Technique for performing side bends:
- Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Tighten your shoulder blades and keep your stomach toned.
- Slowly lean sideways and extend your arm across your body. You need to bend down as much as possible. Then return to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement in the other direction.
- You can do the exercise without doing anything at first, then gradually increase the weight by adding 2 kg dumbbells.
Number of repetitions and approaches. Three sets of ten reps on each side are a great addition to your training.
periodicity. Side bending can be done once a week.
Standing hip abduction
Hip abduction involves the oblique muscles that will help you tone your body faster. This exercise has a simple technique, the main thing is to do it thoughtfully and not swing your legs as quickly as possible.
- Stand straight, put your hands on your waist.
- Extend your leg to the side, trying to maintain a balanced body position.
- Slowly return your leg to the starting position.
You can also do hip abduction on a machine or use an elastic band to increase the load.
Number of repetitions and approaches. Three sets of 15-20 repetitions on each leg.
periodicity. Alternate this exercise with other exercises by performing hip abduction once a week.
Legs are lifted while lying on your side
Lying hip abduction is the same as standing hip abduction, only performed on the mat.
- Lie on your side and straighten your legs.
- As you exhale, lift your leg up.
- As you inhale, slowly lower your leg to the starting position.
You can do leg abduction exercises while lying down with an elastic band or weights.
Number of repetitions and approaches. Three sets of 15-20 repetitions on each leg.
periodicity. It can be done once a week, alternating with other exercises to lose weight on the sides.
Effective exercises to lose weight in legs
Legs and hips are a problem area for many women. Fat accumulates here quickly and easily, but it takes a long time and is difficult to disappear. However, if you do exercises for your hips, you will lose weight faster and be able to maintain the results for a long time.
Squats - a basic exercise for losing weight on the legs
When you squat, you put stress on all the muscles of your legs and hips. If you do this exercise correctly, you will not only lose weight but also help tighten your hips and buttocks. We will look at simple squats without weights: the exercise will help you improve your technique and add weight.
- Place your feet apart as if you were going to squat. Feet approximately hip-width apart.
- Straighten up, tighten your stomach, straighten your legs.
- Lower your pelvis while opening your knees to the sides.
- Tighten your hips and stand upright.
There are many options to make the squat technique more difficult:
- Squats are performed with barbells in the gym under the supervision of a trainer.
- Squatting with dumbbells in hands.
- Jump by doing squats.
- Exercises with elastic bands on the hips.
Interesting fact: squats are useful for both men and women, but for some reason this exercise is considered exclusively for women. Only people with knee problems are not recommended to do this.
Number of repetitions and approaches. Three sets of 25 repetitions with body weight.
periodicity. You can squat with your own weight at least every day, but it is better to do it at least every other day so that the muscles have time to rest. Within 30 days you will see visible results of your hard work.
Exercises to lose weight in your arms
Exercises are very effective in losing weight on your arms and shoulders. They do not burn fat in this particular area, but they tighten the skin and strengthen the biceps and triceps. As a result, your hands look slimmer and more beautiful.
Exercises to lose weight on your arms can be done at home without dumbbells. Push-ups are available everywhere and at all times; You can even do these while leaning against your desk in the office.
Push-ups - classic exercises
Proper push-ups are a useful part of your regular weight loss workouts. The exercise works the triceps, abdominal muscles and chest muscles. Classic version of push-ups - with wide arms:
- Get into a lying position with your arms wider than shoulder width.
- Tighten your abdominal muscles and hips to maintain as straight a body position as possible.
- As you inhale, lower your body by opening your elbows to the sides. Lower yourself to the ground but don't touch it.
- As you exhale, return to the starting position.
Number of repetitions and approaches. You probably won't be able to do many push-ups at first. Aim for 15-20 reps per set for men and 10-15 reps for women.
periodicity. To improve your technique, you need to do push-ups regularly. If you have three workouts in that time, do this at least once a week.
knee push-ups
Those who still find it difficult to do regular push-ups should try push-ups from their knees. It is easier for girls to do this particular type of exercise. Technical:
- Get on your knees, place your hands on the floor at shoulder level. The exercise is performed with a wide stance.
- Tighten your abs, back muscles, and hips to maintain a straight line from your knees to the back of your head.
- Bend your elbows and touch your chest to the floor, then return to the starting position.
Number of repetitions and approaches. Three sets of 10-15 repetitions.
periodicity. At the end of each workout, you can do push-ups from your knees.
reverse push up
The benefit of reverse bench push-ups is that they work your triceps. You can do reverse push-ups from a bench at the gym or a chair at home. Classic technique:
- Stand with your back on a bench or chair. Place your palms on the support so that your arms are positioned symmetrically to your spine.
- As you inhale, bend your arms at the shoulders and elbows simultaneously and lower your pelvis.
- As you exhale, straighten your arms and return to the starting position.
Number of repetitions and approaches. For beginners, three sets of 15 repetitions will be sufficient.
periodicity. You can add reverse push-ups to any workout.
What should be considered when creating a weight loss training program?
- Never forget to warm up. A gentle warm-up minimizes the chance of injury and helps prepare you for your workout.
- Don't rest for too long between sets. Your workouts should be intense but not tiring. Half a minute of rest between sets will be sufficient.
- Drink water while resting. It is especially important to replenish your water balance when doing cardio exercises.
- If you want to lose weight in a single area, you should not exercise only for that area. You'll try to bulge your belly by pumping your abs and sides, and you'll quickly overtrain, get tired, and give up completely. The set of exercises should be harmoniously composed, including strength, cardio and training problem areas.
- Choose exercises that you enjoy doing. If you want to lose weight at home without needing a trainer, here are some tips: exercise for fun. Do not work too hard or overload your muscles and nervous system.
- We recommend that beginners contact an instructor. A professional will help you master the technique of performing exercises, create a training program and menu.
- Best tip for losing weight: Combine physical activity with a calorie deficit. You can't lose weight by exercising alone; You need to reconsider your menu.