Every person who wants to lose weight begins to look for magic exercises for weight loss: how to burn more, move less, and not give up the usual sweets and fast food.
It is important to understand that sports for weight loss are a competent combination of physical activity and proper nutrition. As some trainers say, all workouts start in the kitchen.
Today we will understand the intricacies of competent training, exercises and execution techniques, build a typical training week and adjust the diet.
How to exercise for weight loss
There is no universal set of exercises that will suit everyone and guarantee weight loss in the shortest possible time. Nonetheless, you can create your own plan structure based on several key principles, and already within it, select those exercises that are more appropriate based on technical, physical, and time capabilities.
What to consider if the goal of training is to lose weight:
- Combine strength and cardio training. It's not your job to be a bodybuilder or a marathon runner, so don't go to extremes. Find a good middle ground by spreading the load evenly throughout the week.
- Alternating training sessions of different directions. This gives you enough time to regenerate the muscles involved - you can train more often and more. For example, if you plan to run on Monday, do arm strength on Tuesday and spin the bike on Wednesday.
- Don't exercise when you're tired. If you've had a hard day's work, haven't gotten enough sleep, or had a long flight on a business trip, there's no need to go to that evening workout at all costs. Despite the supercompensation effect promoted by motivational videos (increase in the initial level of physical abilities after intensive training), it only works against the background of normal recovery, including nutrition and sleep.
- Match your diet to your workout. You shouldn't exercise on an empty stomach, especially if you're not experienced, but you shouldn't exercise right after breakfast. The optimal time for classes is two to three hours after eating.
- The most effective way to burn fat is interval training, which alternates periods of intense exercise with brief periods of rest or low-intensity exercise. One option for interval training can be circuit training at the gym, which alternates intense strength exercises with short cardio jogs or brisk walking.
- Don't expect instant results. You don't have to weigh yourself every day and look at variances in grams to evaluate progress. Untrained people typically take six to eight weeks to adjust to training. After that, 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 is enough. These include: brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, strength and circuit training at the gym, jumping rope, outdoor exercise equipment, mountain and hiking trails. Distribute the load evenly over the days. That could be five one-hour workouts a week, or three one-hour sessions on weekdays and one long two-hour bike ride on the weekend.
A set of exercises for weight loss
Consider the average person who works on a standard 5/2 schedule and has the option to only work out on weekdays and weekends after work.
Since athletic performance plays a minor role in losing weight, you should not train on both weekends. Treat yourself to a day of complete relaxation. Firstly, it is necessary to physically recover after a week of work, and secondly, it allows you to take a mental break from the training process, which is now permeating the weekly plan for losing weight.
Examples of a training week:
| weekday | version 1 | option 2 | option 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Strength training in the gym | Strength training in the gym | Light cardio training |
| Tuesday | Light cardio training | outdoor training | Strength training in the gym |
| Wednesday | Relaxation | Relaxation | circuit training |
| Thursday | Strength training in the gym | Light cardio training | Relaxation |
| Friday | circuit training | Strength training in the gym | Strength training in the gym |
| Saturday | Elongated Heart | Relaxation | Elongated Heart |
| Sunday | Relaxation | Elongated Heart | Relaxation |
Strength training in the gym
Strength training, including resistance training, helps increase muscle tone, increase 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 while shedding excess fat. They have also been shown to increase bone density, which in turn reduces the likelihood of developing osteoporosis as you age.
Examples of effective exercises to burn fat in the gym:
Mahi kettlebell
Kettlebell swings are fairly easy to learn and one of the most effective fat burning exercises because they simultaneously target the glutes, hips, abs, back, arms and shoulders.
Technology:
Stand tall with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders and your knees slightly bent. Hold the weight between your legs with both hands. Lean back a little, straighten your legs at the same time and take the kettlebell in front of you with your arms straight. The weight does the reverse movement itself. Your task is to bend your knees slightly and let them go backwards like a pendulum. Every swing movement is transferred from the legs to the arms.
Typical errors:
- Don't round your back, it should be straight.
- Don't try to pull the kettlebell up. All turns are performed by inertia due to the movements of the legs.
- Don't carry the kettlebell too far forward. This puts more stress on the shoulder joints and can lead to injury.
- Don't take too heavy a weight. The importance of the exercise is to involve a large number of muscles and technically correct execution, and not to lift significant weight.
Squats with dumbbells
Squats are a staple of leg development. If you find bodyweight squats easy, but are afraid to continue with barbell training, start with an easy option—dumbbell squats. In addition to the legs, this exercise also includes the back, the abdominal muscles and the arms.
Technology:
stand up straightLegs slightly wider than shoulders. Grab a dumbbell by one end with both hands and raise it to chest height. Start squatting until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Slowly rise to the starting position. The feet must be motionless.
Typical errors:
- heels off the floor. If you start jumping up and down to get to the starting position, then you've used a bar that is too heavy.
- Don't round your back. Stay straight up and down.
Overhead dumbbell or kettlebell press
This exercise can be performed both statically and dynamically by combining bench presses with squats, which allows you to burn even more calories and fat. In the dynamic variant, almost all large muscle groups are included - buttocks, hips, back, abdomen, arms, shoulders.
Technology:
Stand up straight with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand. Bend your elbows, the shells should be over your shoulders. Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. As you rise to the starting position at the top point, press the dumbbells/kettlebells overhead. Bring your hands back to their original position.
Typical errors:
- Don't take bowls that are too heavy. It's easy to get hurt in dynamics, so in the period of getting used to and mastering the technique, it's better to work with the lightest dumbbells / kettlebells.
- Don't lift your heels off the ground as this will affect stability - you could lose your balance due to the extra weight in your hands.
- Don't press dumbbells/weights after you stand up. Use the momentum that you put with your feet from the bottom point. All movements are performed dynamically, like an exercise with a kettlebell swing.
farmer's path
The Farmers Walk is a weighted walk. This exercise increases the load on the legs due to the added weight and also engages the shoulders, arms, back and abs.
First, grab a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells totaling 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 lunge.
Dumbbell bench press
When bench pressing, the upper body is actively involved - the chest muscles, shoulders, arms.
Technology:
Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lie on a bench. Spread your legs slightly wider than your shoulders and plant your heels firmly on the floor. Tighten 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 as you move down. This can lead to shoulder injuries.
- Don't use dumbbells that are too heavy, as this also increases the injury rate. You should be comfortable doing 8-12 reps per set.
circuit training
The good thing about circuit training is that you can incorporate almost any exercise that you can do at a moderate or fast pace.
Key points to consider when planning a circuit workout:
- Alternate exercises for different muscle groups to take turns resting your arms, legs, back, and abs.
- The duration of the intensive interval should not exceed one minute, otherwise the exercise becomes endurance work. It's important that you do this interval at a fast or moderate (in the case of strength training) pace.
- 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.
Exercise examples:
- Pushups;
- raising the bent legs in the hang on the horizontal bar;
- squats;
- dynamic core exercises - climber, bike;
- stretching - jumping lunges with a change of legs;
- tilt barbell rows;
- swing weights;
- overhead dumbbell press;
- burpee;
- push-ups on uneven bars;
- jump on the box;
- jump rope;
- Alternating plank leg raises.
Gather a block of four to eight exercises in a circle. Each exercise is performed for 30-60 seconds with a 30-second break. Rest between circles—a minute or two, or a light jog if you're exercising outside or the gym allows. Complete three to five circuits until the total workout time is closer to 15-20 minutes.
Light cardio training
Light cardio is low-to-moderate intensity exercise that lasts no more than an hour. For beginners, it's best not to do more than 30 minutes until you feel your cardiovascular system has adjusted enough that you can exercise without holding your breath.
One of the markers of cardiovascular readiness is the speech test. If you can talk during cardio, the intensity of the load will allow you to train long enough.
Light cardio exercises include:
- Jog;
- pedaling on an exercise bike or bicycle;
- lessons on the stepper;
- jump rope;
- Bathe;
- To ski.
Elongated Heart
Long workouts differ from simple ones only in the time spent. Make an effort to maintain the same intensity that will allow you to complete the speaking test.
To combine business with pleasure, join a running club for weekend runs, bike with friends in the country, or go for long hikes in hills and rough terrain.
Typical errors:
- Don't start too fast. You don't have to go all out right away. Instead, start your run with a brisk walk and slowly transition into a run. When cycling, do not climb the mountain straight away, but ride 10-20 minutes on a smooth road at a leisurely pace.
- Don't train strictly for time. Focus on your own feelings. You don't have to exert yourself when you're tired.
- Remember to drink water or isotonic drinks, especially in summer. During prolonged exertion, the body loses fluid through sweat, so these losses have to be replenished.
exercise tips
- Every workout begins with a warm-up and ends with a cool-down. A warm-up is necessary to warm up the muscles and reduce trauma, one problem - to cool down smoothly and reduce blood flow to the body.
- Don't train the same way two days in a row. Let your muscles rest.
- If you can't do a particular exercise, replace it with a similar one. Instead of running, you can walk on a stepper, instead of a dumbbell press, do push-ups off the floor, instead of pull-ups, do traction in a block simulator. The same muscle group can be used with a number of different exercises.
- Start with light weights and gradually increase the load. Linear progression is only at the beginning, then it becomes more difficult for you to add weights as it takes longer for ligaments, tendons and muscles to adjust. Excessive zeal and a desire to shake the barbell more can lead to serious injury and forced downtime in training.
- If you feel that you are very tired, take a break of two to three days to allow the body to recover. Arrange a regular deload week, for example once a month, when the load is 50-75% of the usual. During deload week, you can skip a workout or two, or simply reduce the time of each session by 15-30 minutes.
Diet tips to lose weight
- Breakfast should be healthy and high in slow carbohydrates: muesli, whole grain muesli, bananas. Carbohydrates are not only fuel for working muscles (dietary carbohydrates are stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen), but also a source of glucose for normal brain function.
- Don't look for a quick fix on the trending low-carb and keto (high-fat) diets. Stick to the ratio of proteins (10-30%), fats (25-35%) and carbohydrates (45-65%) recommended by your doctor and adjust your diet to suit your condition.
- To lose weight you must be in a calorie deficit. This means that you should spend a little more than you consume. Consumption includes the body's average need for normal function and calories expended during exercise. Consumption should be reduced evenly across all components (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) and not at the expense of just one, as is common in a low-carb diet, for example.
- If you want to calculate everything accurately, install an application on your phone into which you will enter all the food eaten during the day. Specific applications have their own database that registers specific calories and BJU balance for each product. Over time, you will understand where you can save extra calories without harming the body.
- Pre-workout nutrition should be exercise - focus on foods that provide enough energy for exercise. Avoid "empty" calories from fast foods and sugary drinks.
- Post-workout meals should include high protein foods and slow carbohydrates to ensure muscle recovery and energy reserves. Suitable for these purposes: cottage cheese and fruit, salad with chicken or cheese, sandwich with turkey and fresh vegetables, chicken breast with rice.
- Drink enough water. Losing weight from dehydration is not the best idea, especially if you sweat profusely while exercising. At the same time, it is also not worth forcibly pouring two or three liters of water into yourself. The body itself will tell you when to replenish lost fluids.