There is no magic pill and nothing works better than diet and exercise for weight loss. Furthermore, one doesn't work without the other. But even simple weight loss exercises will help you increase exercise, burn calories and get a toned body.
So you've decided to lose excess weight. Which road will you have to take?
- Understand your diet so you don't eat more than your body needs.
- Review your daily routine, rest and get enough sleep because fat will be burned while sleeping.
- Learn a little theory about how the body works, how muscles grow and fat is burned.
- Buy sportswear and sneakers to avoid injuries during exercise.
- Try different exercises and choose the type of activity you enjoy.
- Workout 3-4 times a week while maintaining a calorie deficit.
- Enjoy your new lifestyle and your 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
When losing weight, nutrition is most important. No matter what exercise you choose, you can't do it if you don't understand your diet. We will not give you information about calories and diets, but will give you the basic rules that will help you lose excess weight. Fitness trainers say 80-90% of success in losing weight is nutrition. Your goal is to spend more than you consume. Sports can help you speed up the process of burning excess fat and increase the amount of calories burned, but the basis of everything is still nutrition.
Coach advises:
- Never make yourself feel hungry. The hungrier a person is, the more they eat. When you are hardly hungry, this is the time to eat, because in half an hour or an hour you will eat more.
- Keep to your previous diet, but take a spoonful from your usual serving each day. This is a very small amount, but if you look at it over the course of a week, it subtracts seven spoons per meal. The stomach quickly gets used to it, begins to decrease in size, and you are satisfied with less food.
- Do not eat too much. No need to wait for that "phew, I'm full" feeling. Feeling full up to 15–20 minutes after eating. Only after this time can one objectively assess whether a person is full or not. It's better to leave the table feeling full but not gluttonous when you're short of breath.
When losing weight, proper nutrition is mainly protein and fat. Eat lots of meat, cheese, eggs, fish. Don't forget about vegetables and cereals, 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 nutrients you need.
The diet should be balanced and varied to avoid breakdown. But if you really want to remember the taste of cakes and chips, then you can eat this "forbidden" dish little by little. It is believed that if you eat 90% correctly, you can afford 10% of high-calorie foods.
Should you diet or count calories? Everyone chooses for themselves a suitable nutrition system. During the diet, you eliminate certain foods and thereby reduce the calorie content of your diet.
Advice.Try creating a menu for the week with recipes you love. There's nothing magical about PP recipes, and they're often higher in calories than regular recipes, and desserts made with almond flour take a lot of time. Take simple whole foods and protein-rich foods as a base. Don't like oatmeal? Breakfast with omelette and vegetables. You need a flexible approach to your diet, because a healthy lifestyle will last you a lifetime.
And don't forget to maintain your alcohol intake, especially when playing active sports. Always have a bottle of water on hand. If you have difficulty drinking plain water, add lemon juice or mint leaves.
What to choose: workout at home or go to the gym?
Each person chooses where to practice: at home or at the gym. Both options have pros and cons.
You need to go to the gym, pay for your registration and stick to the schedule if you sign up for group training at a sports club. But it is fully equipped with the necessary equipment and workout tools to lose weight effectively.
Working out at home has recently become very popular. No need to go anywhere, stick to the plan and schedule. But it takes a strong will and some physical training to perform the exercises correctly.
The weight loss exercises themselves at home and at the gym are not much different. They must be effective, intense and varied. You can work out your abs at home and at the gym with the same level of success. You can work with a coach via video call.
What you need to start training: equipment and clothes
If you practice at home, a mat will be very helpful. You may need small 2 and 5 kg dumbbells and weight bands if your workout program includes them. In fact, you can exercise without any equipment and do fat-burning cardio and strength exercises using your own weight without special equipment. The gym has everything you need.
In any case, you will need sports clothes:
- sneakers with good cushioning and ventilation;
- Good elastic leggings or sweatpants;
- some t-shirts made of synthetic fabric (cotton takes a long time to dry due to sweat);
- sports shirt for women.
This is a basic set that you can't do without it 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 monitor.
Advice.Bring a small towel when going to the gym. You will need to place it on exercise equipment when exercising.
Types and types of training and exercises: what to choose?
Many different types of exercises and exercises are effective for weight loss. This is explained by the individual characteristics of the body. The most effective type of exercise is considered aerobic (cardio). But it is also necessary to do anaerobic (strength) exercise so that the skin does not sag after losing weight.
Let's find out the basic types of weight loss exercises used in the gym and when working out at home. You will understand why different types of activities are needed to successfully get in shape. And finally, decide which is better - cardio or strength training?
Strength exercises
Strength training is aimed at hypertrophy, which is muscle growth. In fact, strength training will speed up your metabolism, but gradually. Often, people who lose weight will choose other forms of exercise and there is a reason for this.
What are the benefits of strength training for weight loss?
- After strength training, the body will burn calories to recover.
- When working "to failure", micro-injuries occur in the muscles and the body consumes energy to restore them.
- Muscle requires more energy to "maintain" than fat.
- There are elements of strength training in interval training, to successfully perform this exercise you must first master the basic correct execution.
There is a misconception that strength training is only suitable for men. Women can also lose weight and shape up successfully with the help of squats, lunges and weight training with barbells and dumbbells. You need to do strength training 2-3 times a week, alternating with cardio to lose weight effectively.
Cardiovascular exercises
Cardio exercise is a great choice for weight loss. They quickly lead to fat burning, while pumping the heart muscle and respiratory system. You can do cardio at home and in the gym. It doesn't always have to be an intense workout, but it will take some effort to burn fat. And beginners need to engage in training gradually.
Best cardiovascular exercise:
- step sideways with arms raised;
- Boxing;
- burpee;
- kick aside;
- raise your knees from a jump;
- rope skipping.
Cardio exercise is beneficial for both men and women. You need to exercise to lose weight 3-4 times a week for 40-50 minutes. You can complete your strength training workout by walking briskly on the treadmill or using an elliptical trainer.
Aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise helps you lose weight and improve the function of your heart and blood vessels. When performing them, the body consumes a large amount of oxygen. These workouts make a person more resilient. Aerobics is considered the best way to burn calories.
Aerobic exercise, or cardiovascular exercise as it is commonly called, is the best exercise for weight loss. This includes jogging, high-speed exercise cycling, elliptical training, and brisk walking on the treadmill. It is important that the fat burning process begins within 30 minutes. The workout should last 40–60 minutes, but it is better to start with 10–15 minutes, adding 2–3 minutes a day.
Aerobic exercise includes running, dancing, group sports and ice skating. In short, any load makes your heart beat faster. However, 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 exercises, then twice a week will be enough.
Anaerobic training
During anaerobic training, the body receives energy without oxygen. Muscles use up glycogen (product of glucose breakdown) that accumulates in the blood. These are strength training exercises in the gym aimed at developing and strengthening muscles as well as short distance running. They do not use fat for energy.
Anaerobic exercise burns fewer calories than aerobic exercise. So how can they be useful to you? The fact is that muscles spend energy for a while after anaerobic training - 12–36 hours. Additionally, as your muscles grow, you will burn fewer calories at rest. However, trainers still agree that aerobic exercise is more effective in losing weight.
Training time
To lose weight quickly, you need intense but not tiring workouts that you can do regularly. HIIT (or HIIT in English) - interval training - tailored to your goals. They are suitable for beginners and experienced athletes. You just need to adjust the speed according to your level of preparation.
A good example of HIIT is Tabata. Exercises should be performed quickly (but effectively) for 20–60 seconds. Then you rest for 10–40 seconds. The longer your rest period, the less intense your workout will be. A HIIT workout might look something like this:
- run in place;
- squat;
- squat;
- promote;
- pull your knees into your stomach in a plank position.
As a rule, a circle includes 5-6 exercises. Usually this is training with your own weight. Beginners can do three rounds, advanced - five rounds. Exercises can be repeated, but there is an option when each interval is aimed at working certain muscle groups.
Thanks to this plan, within half an hour you will be wiping away the sweat and gasping with happiness because you have burned an extra 300-500 calories.
Warm up before doing weight loss exercises: is it necessary or not?
Here, the trainers agree: warming up before weight loss workouts is a must. A physical warm-up takes 5-10 minutes but gets you ready for exercise, prevents injury, and warms up all muscles and joints.
Before working out, even before stretching, you need to warm up. Do the simplest warm-up exercises:
- Slowly rotate your head 3-4 times clockwise and counterclockwise.
- Make circular movements with your arms at an average speed of 5-10 times forward and backward.
- Extend your arms away from your chest 5-10 times.
- Rotate your pelvis 5 times in both directions.
- Do 5-10 toe tilts with straight legs.
- Do 5-10 bends in both directions.
- Rotate your hips.
- Stretch your arms and ankles.
After the warm-up exercise, you can walk on the treadmill at a fast pace for 10–15 minutes to warm up. And then proceed to the main complex.
Exercises to reduce belly fat: crunches, leg raises, vacuum suction
It is impossible to lose weight in one area, because fat leaves the body more or less evenly. But you can tone your skin and strengthen your abdominal muscles with weight-loss exercises on your abdomen and sides. These are basic strength exercises that will help you burn a little more calories.
Exercises to reduce belly fat for men and women are no different: the technique is the same for everyone. The main thing is to train correctly and regularly, then, provided you have a calorie deficit and adequate basic activity, you will get the desired relief. When this happens - in a week, a month or six months, depending on your physical condition and nutrition.
Ab crunches: straight, reverse, lateral
Technique of lying on the stomach:
- Lie on your back on the mat, knees bent.
- Press your chin into your chest and bring your palms together at the back of your head.
- As you exhale, lift your body slightly, lifting your shoulder blades off the mat.
- Tighten your abs.
- As you inhale, slowly lower your body to the mat without straightening.
No need to reach too high, lift your chin off your chest and use your hands to pull yourself forward. The press must be constantly stressed.
Reverse the crunching sound on the flooris an exercise where you need to lift your legs and tighten your lower abdominal muscles:
- Lie on your back on the mat.
- Bend your knees so your shins are parallel to the floor and bring your heels together.
- As you exhale, lift your hips and butt off the floor, shifting your weight to your shoulder blades and pulling your knees toward your chest.
- As you inhale, return to the starting position without straightening your legs completely. Always keep your abdominal muscles tense.
Straight and reverse crunches can be performed on a bench, holding the bench behind your head with your hands.
Belly sticksThe lateral abdominal muscles are strengthened on the abdominal muscles. It is convenient to do crunches on a hyperextension machine:
- Adjust the height so that the top of the exercise mat is level with your pelvis.
- Starting position - legs resting on the base of the simulator, body straightened, arms at chest level.
- When exhaling, lean down and when inhaling, return to the starting position.
Crunches should be performed using the oblique abdominal muscles and not with inertia.
Number of repetitions and approach. For beginner men and women, three sets of 20 repetitions of crunches should be enough. You can do the exercise at the beginning or end of your strength training, in the morning, afternoon or evening.
Periodicity. At least once a week. The results of crunches depend on the structure. You can alternate forward, backward, and side crunches.
Exercises to lose weight on both sides: plank, bend, swing
It is not possible to get rid of the sides with weight loss exercises alone. To burn stored fat, you need to maintain a calorie deficit and exercise more. Planks, leg swings and bends are quite energy-consuming exercises. They will help you lose excess weight, giving your body beautiful curves.
The set of exercises to lose weight on both sides at home must include exercises for the abdominal oblique muscles. When combined, these workout elements will help you quickly eliminate fat accumulated around your waist.
Side plank: strengthens all muscles
One of the basic exercises that allows you to shape your waist, while training the muscles of the abdomen, back, legs and arms. It can be done without special equipment. Side planks have a simple technique:
- Get into a regular plank position, resting on your forearms and toes.
- Turn around and shift your weight to one side of your body.
- Tighten your abs and straighten your body, supporting yourself with your forearms and ankles.
- Return to starting position - regular plank.
For those advanced in the side plank, you can add crunches to work your arm muscles and crunches to increase your abdominal muscles.
Number of repetitions and approach. It is enough to hold a static exercise for 30 seconds, gradually increasing the time. Exercises are performed according to one approach.
Periodicity. You can complete every exercise in a side plank position.
Side bend: remove the sides
Bending over will not help burn fat in the problem area, but it will strengthen the abdominal 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 firm.
- Slowly lean to one side, stretching your arms along your body. You need to crouch as low as possible. Then return to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement in the other direction.
- Initially you can perform the exercise without anything, then add 2 kg dumbbells, gradually increasing the weight.
Number of repetitions and approach. Three sets of ten technical reps each are a great addition to your workout.
Periodicity. Side bending can be done once a week.
Standing hip abduction
Hip abduction movements that involve the lateral muscles will help you tone your body faster. This exercise has a simple technique, the main thing is to perform it thoughtfully and without swinging your legs as quickly as possible.
- Stand straight, put your hands on your waist.
- Extend your legs to the side, trying to maintain a balanced body position.
- Slowly bring your legs back to the starting position.
You can also perform hip abduction on a machine or use elastic bands to increase the load.
Number of repetitions and approach. Three sets of 15–20 reps each.
Periodicity. Alternate this exercise with others, performing hip abduction once a week.
Raise your legs when lying on your side
Lying hip abduction is the same as standing hip abduction, only performed on a mat.
- Lie on your side and straighten your legs.
- As you exhale, lift your legs.
- As you inhale, slowly lower your legs to the starting position.
You can spread your legs while lying down with elastic bands or weights.
Number of repetitions and approach. Three sets of 15–20 reps each.
Periodicity. Can be done once a week, alternating with other bilateral weight loss exercises.
Effective weight loss exercises for legs
Legs and buttocks are problem areas for many women. Fat accumulates here quickly and easily but takes a long time and is difficult to lose. But if you do hip exercises, you will lose weight faster and be able to maintain the results for a long time.
Squats - basic exercise to lose weight in the legs
When you squat, you put stress on all the muscles in your legs and buttocks. If you do this exercise properly, in addition to losing weight, you will get firm hips and buttocks. We'll look at simple squats without weights: exercises that will help you develop technique and add weight.
- Stand with your legs apart as if you are about to squat. Feet hip-width apart.
- Stand up straight, squeeze your abs, and straighten your legs.
- Lower your pelvis while spreading your knees out to the sides.
- Tighten your buttocks and stand straight.
There are many options to make the squat technique more difficult:
- Practice squats with weights in the gym under the supervision of a trainer.
- Squat with dumbbells in hand.
- Squats jump.
- 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 purely for women. This should not only be done for people with knee problems.
Number of repetitions and approach. Three sets of 25 repetitions with body weight.
Periodicity. You can squat with your own weight at least every day, but it's better to do it at least every other day to give your muscles time to rest. Within 30 days, you will see visible results from your hard work.
Exercises to lose weight on your arms
Exercises are very effective for losing weight in 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.
Arm weight loss exercises can be done at home without weights. Push-ups are available anywhere and anytime - you can even do them in the office while leaning against your desk.
Push-ups - classic exercise
Proper push-ups are a useful part of your regular weight loss workout. The exercise works on the triceps, abdominal muscles and chest muscles. Classic version of push-ups - with wide arms:
- Take a lying position with your arms wider than your shoulders.
- Tighten your abs and buttocks to maintain the most balanced body position possible.
- As you inhale, lower your body while spreading your elbows to the sides. Lower yourself to the floor but don't touch it.
- As you exhale, return to the starting position.
Number of repetitions and approach. Chances are you won't be able to do many push-ups at first. Aim for 15-20 repetitions per set for men and 10-15 repetitions for women.
Periodicity. You need to do push-ups regularly to improve your technique. Do this at least once a week if you have three workouts in that period.
Knee push-ups
People who still find it difficult to do regular push-ups should try push-ups from their knees. It will be easier for girls to perform this particular type of exercise. Technique:
- Kneel, place your hands on the floor at shoulder level. The exercise is performed with a wide stance.
- Tighten your abs, back muscles, and glutes 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 approach. Three sets of 10–15 repetitions.
Periodicity. You can do push-ups from your knees at the end of each workout session.
Reverse push-ups
The benefit of reverse bench push-ups is that they work the triceps. You can do reverse push-ups from a bench at the gym or in a chair at home. Classic technique:
- Stand with your back to a bench or chair. Place your palms on the support so that your arms are placed symmetrically in relation to your spine.
- As you inhale, bend your arms at the shoulders and elbows at the same time, lowering your pelvis.
- As you exhale, straighten your arms and return to the starting position.
Number of repetitions and approach. Three sets of 15 repetitions will be enough for beginners.
Periodicity. You can include reverse push-ups in every workout session.
Things to keep in mind when creating a weight loss workout program
- Never forget to warm up. A light warm-up helps minimize the risk of injury and gets you ready for your workout.
- Don't rest too long between sets. Your workout should be intense but not tiring. Half a minute of rest between rounds is enough.
- Drink water while resting. It is especially important to replenish water balance while doing cardiovascular exercises.
- If you want to lose weight in one area, you shouldn't only do exercises in that area. You'll try to get rid of your belly by tensing your abs and sides, and you'll quickly overexercise, get tired, and give up altogether. The exercise set should be built harmoniously, including strength, cardio and training of problem areas.
- Choose exercises that you enjoy doing. If you want to lose weight at home without a trainer, here are some tips: exercise for fun. Don't work too hard, overloading your muscles and nervous system.
- We advise beginners to contact a coach. Experts will help you master exercise techniques, create training programs and menus.
- Top tip for weight loss: combine physical activity with a calorie deficit. You won't be able to lose weight just by exercising; You need to reconsider your menu.