Any person who sets out to lose weight begins to look for a magical set of exercises for weight loss: 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 workouts start in the kitchen.
Today we will understand the intricacies of competent training, exercises and execution techniques, building a typical training week and adjusting the diet.
How to exercise for weight loss
There is no universal set of exercises that would suit everyone and that would guarantee weight loss in the shortest possible time. Nevertheless, you can create your own plan structure, based on several key principles, and already in it choose those exercises that are more suitable, based on technical, physical and temporal capabilities.
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 a marathon runner, so you should not go to extremes. Find a happy medium by evenly distributing the load throughout the week.
- Alternate training sessions of different directions. So 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, do arm strength on Tuesday and spin the bike on Wednesday.
- Don't exercise when you're tired. If you had a hard day at work, you didn’t get enough sleep, or you had a long flight on a business trip, you don’t have to go to an evening workout at any cost. Despite the supercompensation effect promoted by motivational videos (increasing the initial level of body capabilities after intense training), it will only work against the background of normal recovery, including nutrition and sleep.
- Adjust your diet for your workouts. You should not train on an empty stomach, especially if you do not have the relevant experience, but you should not go to training immediately after breakfast. The optimal time for classes is two to three hours after eating.
- The most effective for fat burning are considered interval training, in which periods of intense load alternate with short periods of rest or low-intensity exercise. One option for interval training can be a circuit training in the gym, in which intense strength exercises alternate with short cardio - jogging or brisk walking.
- Don't expect immediate results. No need to weigh yourself every day and look at deviations in grams, evaluating progress. Untrained people typically take six to eight weeks to adapt 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 be enough. These include: brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, strength and circuit training in the gym, jumping rope, outdoor exercise equipment, hill and trail walks. 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 set of exercises for weight loss
Let's take the average person working on a standard 5/2 schedule and having the opportunity to train only after work on weekdays, as well as on weekends.
Since athletic performance plays a secondary role when losing weight, you should not train both weekends. Leave yourself a day for complete rest. Firstly, it is necessary to recover physically after a week of work, and secondly, it will allow you to take a mental break from the training process, which will now permeate the weekly schedule 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 workout | 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 increase muscle tone, increase strength, and build muscle mass over time. Weights include dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, 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 with age.
Examples of effective fat burning exercises in the gym:
Mahi kettlebell
Kettlebell swings are fairly easy to learn and one of the most effective exercises for burning fat, because it simultaneously engages the gluteal muscles, hips, abs, back, arms and shoulders.
Technique:
Stand straight with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders and slightly bent at the knees. Hold the weight with both hands between your legs. Lean back a little, straighten your legs at the same time and take the kettlebell forward with straight arms. The weight will make the reverse movement itself. Your task is to slightly bend your knees and let it go like a pendulum back. Each swing movement is given from the legs to the arms.
Typical mistakes:
- Do not round your back, it should be straight.
- Don't try to pull the kettlebell up. All swings are made by inertia due to movements given by the legs.
- Don't carry the kettlebell too far forward. This will put more stress on the shoulder joints and can lead to 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.
Squats with dumbbells
Squats are a basic exercise for leg development. If bodyweight squatting is easy for you, but you are afraid to move on to barbell training, start with an easy option - dumbbell squats. This exercise, in addition to the legs, involves the back, abs and arms.
Technique:
Stand up straight. Legs slightly wider than shoulders. Grab a dumbbell with both hands at one end and raise it to chest level. Begin to squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Slowly get up to the starting position. The feet must be motionless.
Typical mistakes:
- Heels off the floor. If you start jumping up and down to get to the starting position, then you have taken a dumbbell that is too heavy.
- Don't round your back. Stay straight at both the top and bottom.
Overhead dumbbell or kettlebell presses
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 - buttocks, hips, back, abdominals, arms, shoulders.
Technique:
Stand straight, feet slightly wider than shoulders. Grab 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. When getting up to the starting position at the top point, squeeze the dumbbells / kettlebells over your head. Return your hands to their original position.
Typical mistakes:
- Do not take too heavy shells. It is easy to get injured in dynamics, therefore, at the stage of getting used to and mastering the technique, it is better to work with the lightest dumbbells / kettlebells.
- Do not lift your heels off the floor, as this will compromise stability - you may lose balance due to the extra weight in your hands.
- Do not squeeze dumbbells / weights after you stand up. Use the momentum that you set with your feet from the bottom point. All movements are performed in dynamics, as in an exercise with a kettlebell swing.
farmer's walk
The farmer's walk is a weighted walk. This exercise, due to the additional weight, increases the load on the legs, and also includes the shoulders, arms, back and abs.
First, take a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells with a total weight of 25-30% of 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
The bench press actively involves the upper body - the pectoral muscles, shoulders, arms.
Technique:
Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lie down on a bench. Spread your legs slightly wider than your shoulders and firmly press your heels to 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 mistakes:
- Do not relax your hands when moving down. This can lead to shoulder injury.
- Do not take too heavy dumbbells, 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 include almost any exercise that you can do at a moderate or fast pace.
The main points to consider when planning a circuit training:
- 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 will turn into endurance work. It is important that you perform this interval at a fast or moderate (in the case of weight 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;
- lifting bent legs in the hang on the horizontal bar;
- squats;
- dynamic core exercises - rock climber, bicycle;
- stretching - jumping lunges with a change of legs;
- tilt dumbbell row;
- swing weights;
- dumbbell press over your head;
- burpee;
- push-ups on the uneven bars;
- jumping on the box;
- jumping rope;
- alternating leg raises in plank.
Collect a block of four to eight exercises in one circle. Each exercise is performed for 30-60 seconds with a 30-second rest. Rest between circles - one to two minutes or a light jog if you are exercising outside or the gym allows. Complete three to five circuits until the total workout 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 beginners, it is best to do no more than 30 minutes until you feel that the cardiovascular system has adapted enough that you can train without holding your breath.
One of the markers of cardiovascular readiness is the speaking test. If you can keep up a conversation while doing cardio, then the intensity of the load will allow you to train long enough.
Light cardio exercises include:
- jogging;
- pedaling on an exercise bike or bicycle;
- classes on the stepper;
- jumping rope;
- swimming;
- skiing.
Prolonged cardio
Long workouts differ from easy ones only in the time spent. Strive to maintain the same intensity that allows you to complete the speaking test.
To combine business with pleasure, join a running club for weekend runs, bike with friends in the countryside, or go on long hikes in hills and rough terrain.
Typical mistakes:
- 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 immediately climb the mountain, but ride for 10-20 minutes on a smooth road at a leisurely pace.
- Do not train strictly on time. Focus on your own feelings. No need to push yourself if you're tired.
- Remember to drink water or isotonic drinks, especially in 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 up 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 traction in a block simulator. The same muscle group can be loaded with a bunch of different exercises.
- Start with small weights and increase the load gradually. Linear progress is only at first, then it will be harder for you to add weights, as it will take more time for the ligaments, tendons and muscles to adapt. Excessive zeal and 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 so that the body recovers. Periodically arrange a deload week, for example once a month, when the load is 50-75% of the usual. In the deload week, 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 rich in slow carbohydrates: cereal, whole grain cereal, 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 the trendy low-carb and keto (fat-heavy diets) diets. Stick to the doctor-recommended balance of proteins (10-30%), fats (25-35%), and carbohydrates (45-65%), and adjust your diet according to how you feel.
- To lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit. This means that you should spend a little more than you consume. The consumption includes the average needs of the body for normal functioning, as well as the calories expended in training. Consumption should be reduced evenly across 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 into which you will enter all the food eaten during the day. Special applications have their own database, where certain calories and BJU balance are registered for each product. Over time, you will understand where you can cut extra calories without harm to the body.
- Nutrition before training 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 protein and slow carbohydrates to ensure muscle recovery and energy reserves. For these purposes, suitable: cottage cheese and fruits, 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're sweating profusely during your workout. At the same time, forcibly pouring two or three liters of water into yourself is also not worth it. The body itself will tell you when you need to replenish the lost fluid.