Anyone who sets out to lose weight starts looking for a magical set of exercises to lose weight: how to burn more, exercise less and not give up the usual sweets and fast food.
It is important to understand that playing sports for weight loss is a competent combination of physical activity and proper nutrition. As some coaches say, all training starts in the kitchen.
Today we will understand the intricacies of competent training, exercises and running techniques, building a typical training week and adapting the diet.
How to exercise to lose weight
There is no universal set of exercises that are suitable for everyone and that guarantee weight loss in the shortest possible time. However, you can create your own plan structure, based on several key principles, and already in it choose the most suitable exercises, based on technical, physical and temporal abilities.
What is recommended to pay attention to if the goal of training is to lose weight:
- Combine strength and cardio workouts. You are not tasked with becoming a bodybuilder or marathoner, so you shouldn't go to extremes. Find a middle ground by distributing the load evenly throughout the week.
- Alternating training sessions of different directions. Then you will have enough time to recover the muscles involved - you can train more often and more. For example, if your plan is to run on Monday, train arm strength on Tuesday and spin the bike on Wednesday.
- Don't exercise when tired. If you've had a hard day at work, haven't slept enough, or have taken a long flight on a business trip, you don't have to go to an evening workout at all costs. Despite the supercompensation effect promoted by motivational videos (increasing the initial level of the body's abilities after intense training), it will only work against the background of normal recovery, including nutrition and sleep.
- Adapt your diet to your workouts. You shouldn't train on an empty stomach, especially if you don't have the relevant experience, but you shouldn't go to train right after breakfast. The optimal time for classes is two to three hours after eating.
- The most effective for burning fat are considered to be interval workouts, in which periods of intense load alternate with short periods of rest or low-intensity exercises. One option for interval training can be circuit training in the gym, in which intense strength exercises alternate with short cardio - jogging or brisk walking.
- Don't expect immediate results. There is no need to weigh yourself every day and look at the deviations in grams, evaluating your progress. Untrained people typically take six to eight weeks to adjust to exercise, after which the fitness level allows for the addition of high-intensity exercise and longer workouts that burn more calories and fat.
- For a beginner, 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week will suffice. These include: brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, strength training and circuit training in the gym, rope jumping, outdoor exercise equipment, hill and trail walking. Distribute the load evenly over the days. It could be five one-hour workouts a week or three one-hour sessions on weekdays and a long two-hour bike ride on the weekend.
A series of exercises for weight loss
Let's take the average person who works on a standard 5/2 program and who only has the opportunity to train after work on weekdays, as well as on weekends.
Since athletic performance plays a minor role when losing weight, you shouldn't train on both weekends. Give yourself a day of complete rest. Firstly, you need to physically recover after a work week, and secondly, it will allow you to take a mental break from the training process, which will now permeate the weekly program in pursuit of losing weight.
Examples of a training week:
| Day of the week | option 1 | option 2 | Option 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Strength training in the gym | Strength training in the gym | Light cardio workout |
| Tuesday | Light cardio workout | Outdoor training | Strength training in the gym |
| Wednesday | Relaxation | Relaxation | Circuit training |
| Thursday | Strength training in the gym | Light cardio workout | Relaxation |
| Friday | Circuit training | Strength training in the gym | Strength training in the gym |
| Saturday | Prolonged cardio | Relaxation | Prolonged cardio |
| Sunday | Relaxation | Prolonged cardio | Relaxation |
Strength training in the gym
Strength training, including resistance training, helps build muscle tone, build strength, and build muscle mass over time. Weights include dumbbells, barbells, weights, expanders, and various simulators.
Strength training is important because it allows you to maintain muscle mass and strength by shedding excess fat. They have also been shown to increase bone density, which in turn reduces the likelihood of developing osteoporosis with age.
Examples of effective exercises to burn fat in the gym:
Kettlebell Mah
Kettlebell swings are fairly easy to learn and one of the most effective fat burning exercises, engaging the gluteal, hips, abs, back, arm and shoulder muscles at the same time.
Technique:
Stand straight with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders and slightly bent at the knees. Keep the weight with both hands between your legs. Lean back a little, straighten your legs at the same time, and bring the kettlebell forward with your arms straight. The weight will do the reverse movement itself. Your job is to bend your knees slightly and let it go like a pendulum back. Each swing movement is given from the legs to the arms.
Typical errors:
- Don't turn your back, it should be straight.
- Don't try to lift the kettlebell. All the oscillations are made by inertia due to the movements given by the legs.
- Don't bring the kettlebell too far forward. This will put more stress on the shoulder joints and can cause injury.
- Don't take too heavy a weight. The meaning of the exercise is to include a large number of muscles and technically correct execution and not to lift significant weight.
Squat with dumbbells
Squats are a basic exercise for leg development. If bodyweight squats are easy for you, but you're afraid to switch to barbell training, start with an easy option: dumbbell squats. This exercise, in addition to the legs, involves the back, abs and arms.
Technique:
Standing straight. Legs slightly wider than shoulders. Grab a dumbbell with both hands at one end and lift it to chest height. Start squatting until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Slowly rise to the starting position. The feet must be immobile.
Typical errors:
- Heels from the ground. If you start jumping up and down to get to the starting position, it means that you have taken too heavy a dumbbell.
- Don't turn your back. Stand straight up and down.
Overhead presses with dumbbells or kettlebells
This exercise can be performed both statically and dynamically, combining bench presses with squats, which will allow you to burn even more calories and fat. In the dynamic version, almost all major muscle groups are included: glutes, hips, back, abs, arms, shoulders.
Technique:
Stand straight, feet slightly wider than shoulders. Grab a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand. Bend the elbows, the shells should be above the shoulders. Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. When you get up to the starting position at the highest point, squeeze the dumbbells / kettlebells overhead. Return your hands to their original position.
Typical errors:
- Do not take shells that are too heavy. It's easy to get injured in dynamics, so when you get used to and master the technique, it's best to work with the lightest dumbbells / kettlebells.
- Do not lift your heels off the floor, as this will compromise stability - you may lose your balance due to the extra weight in your hands.
- Don't squeeze dumbbells / weights after getting up. Use the momentum you set with your feet from the lowest point. All movements are performed in dynamics, as in an exercise with a kettlebell swing.
farmer's walk
The farmer's walk is a thoughtful walk. This exercise, due to the additional weight, increases the load on the legs and also includes the shoulders, arms, back and abs.
First, grab a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells with a total weight of 25-30% of your body weight and take 20-40 steps. If it's easy, you can add weights or make the exercise harder and do a lunge.
Bench with dumbbells
The bench press actively involves the upper body: the pectoral muscles, the shoulders, the arms.
Technique:
Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lie down on a bench. Spread your legs slightly wider than your shoulders and press your heels firmly to the floor. Contract your abdominal and back muscles. Push the dumbbells up from your chest until your arms are straight. Slowly return them to their original position.
Typical errors:
- Don't relax your hands when getting off. This can cause shoulder injuries.
- Do not take too heavy dumbbells, as this also increases the injury rate. You should feel comfortable doing 8-12 reps per set.
Circuit training
The good thing about circuit training is that you can include almost any exercise you can do at a moderate or fast pace.
The main points to consider when planning circuit training:
- Alternating exercises for different muscle groups to be done in turn resting arms, legs, back and abs.
- The duration of the intensive interval should not exceed one minute, otherwise the exercise will turn into endurance work. It is important to perform this interval at a fast or moderate pace (in the case of weight training).
- The duration of the low intensity interval (walking, jogging) or rest should not exceed 30 seconds.
- The total duration of the workout should be 15-20 minutes.
Examples of exercises:
- lift;
- lifting of the bent legs in suspension on the horizontal bar;
- squats;
- basic dynamic exercises - mountaineer, bicycle;
- stretching - jump lunges with a change of legs;
- tilt the row of dumbbells;
- oscillating weights;
- overhead dumbbell press;
- burpee;
- pushups on uneven bars;
- jump on the box;
- skipping rope;
- alternate raises of the legs in plank.
Collect a block of four to eight exercises in a circle. Each exercise is performed for 30-60 seconds with a 30-second rest. Rest between the circles: a minute or two or a light jog if you train outdoors or the gym allows. Complete three to five circuits until the total training time is closer to 15-20 minutes.
Light cardio workout
Light cardio is a low to medium intensity workout that lasts no more than an hour. For starters, it's best not to do more than 30 minutes until you feel that your cardiovascular system has adapted enough that you can train without holding your breath.
One of the markers of cardiovascular readiness is the oral test. If you can keep a conversation going while doing cardio, the intensity of the load will allow you to train long enough.
Light cardio exercises include:
- jogging;
- pedaling on an exercise bike or bicycle;
- lessons on the stepper;
- skipping rope;
- I swim;
- to ski.
Prolonged cardio
Long workouts differ from easy ones only in the time taken. Strive to maintain the same intensity that allows you to complete the oral exam.
To combine business with pleasure, join a racing club for weekend racing, cycle with friends in the countryside, or go on long hikes in the hills and over rough terrain.
Typical errors:
- Don't start too fast. You don't have to do everything right away. Instead, start your run with a brisk walk and slowly switch to a run. When cycling, do not immediately climb the mountain, but pedal for 10-20 minutes on a smooth road at a slow pace.
- Don't train strictly on time. Focus on your feelings. There is no need to strain if you are tired.
- Remember to drink water or isotonic drinks, especially in the summer. During prolonged exercise, the body loses fluid through sweat, so these losses must be replenished.
Exercise tips
- Any workout starts with a warm-up and ends with a cool-down. A warm-up is needed to warm the muscles and reduce trauma, a hitch - to cool down smoothly and reduce blood circulation in the body.
- Don't train the same way two days in a row. Let your muscles rest.
- If you can't do a certain exercise, replace it with a similar one. Instead of running, you can walk on a stepper, instead of a dumbbell press, do push-ups from the floor, instead of pull-ups, do the pull in a block simulator. The same muscle group can be loaded with a variety of different exercises.
- Start with small weights and gradually increase the load. Linear progress is just beginning, so it will be harder for you to add weights, as it will take longer for the ligaments, tendons, and muscles to adjust. Excessive zeal and a desire to rock the bar more can cause severe injury and forced downtime during training.
- If you feel very tired, take a break of two or three days so that the body recovers. Periodically organize a week of unloading, for example once a month, when the load is 50-75% of the usual. In the week of unloading, you can remove one or two workouts or simply reduce the time of each session by 15-30 minutes.
Diet tips for weight loss
- Breakfast should be healthy and full of slow carbohydrates: cereals, whole grains, bananas. Carbohydrates are not only fuel for working muscles (carbohydrates from food are stored in the muscles and liver in the form of glycogen), but also a source of glucose for normal brain function.
- Don't look for a quick fix in trendy low-carb, keto diets (high-fat diets). Stick to your doctor's recommended balance of protein (10-30%), fat (25-35%) and carbohydrates (45-65%) and adjust your diet based on how you feel.
- To lose weight, you must have a calorie deficit. This means that you should spend a little more than you consume. Consumption includes the body's average requirement for normal functioning as well as calories consumed during training. Consumption should be reduced evenly on all components (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) and not at the expense of just one, as is customary, for example, in a low carb diet.
- If you want to calculate everything accurately, install an application on your phone in which you will enter all the food consumed during the day. Special applications have their own database, where certain calories and the BJU balance for each product are recorded. Over time, you will understand where you can cut down on extra calories without harming the body.
- Pre-workout nutrition should be sports - focus on foods that provide enough energy for exercise. Avoid "empty" calories from fast food and sugary drinks.
- Post-workout meals should include foods rich in proteins and slow carbohydrates to ensure muscle recovery and energy reserves. For these purposes, suitable: cottage cheese and fruit, salad with chicken or cheese, sandwich with turkey and fresh vegetables, chicken breast with rice.
- Drink enough water. Losing weight through dehydration is not the best idea, especially when you sweat profusely during exercise. At the same time, it is not even worth it to forcibly pour two or three liters of water into yourself. The body itself will tell you when it is necessary to replenish the lost fluid.