How to Exercise to Lose Weight

The first thing to forget is the idea of spot fat burning. Advertising often promises a “flat stomach in a week” with tons of abdominal exercises. The truth is that fat does not go away in specific areas. You are strengthening your abdominal muscles, that’s great, but the fat will go away evenly from your entire body, not just from the area you are actively training. Imagine that you are losing weight as a whole, not in separate parts.

The main thing is to change your lifestyle. This sounds general, but that’s the whole point. Start with nutrition. You don’t need to go on a strict diet that you will break down after a couple of days. Focus on a balanced diet. More protein, complex carbohydrates (vegetables, whole grains), healthy fats (avocado, nuts, olive oil). Less sugar, processed foods and fast food. This is not a “diet”, this is your new, permanent eating regime.

Then, exercise. Find something you really enjoy. Running, swimming, dancing, strength training – anything, as long as you do it regularly. Cardio will help burn calories, and strength training will strengthen your muscles and speed up your metabolism. By the way, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn even at rest.

And most importantly – take your time. Rapid weight loss is stress for the body. It starts storing fat, thinking that it is in danger of starvation. In addition, with rapid weight loss, you lose muscle mass, which slows down your metabolism and increases the likelihood of weight return. Lose no more than 1-2 kg per week. It is safe and effective in the long term.

All these «miracle pills» and extreme diets are a scam. They promise quick results, but in the end lead to health problems and weight return. Do not waste money and time on them.

• There is only one correct, reasonable approach to fat burning - training, nutrition and recovery. They will bring you both weight loss and a sporty, toned figure.

Remember: weight loss is not a sprint, but a marathon. These are long-term lifestyle changes that will not only give you a slim figure but also good health. A balanced diet, regular exercise, and healthy habits are the keys to success.

What Exercises to Do for Weight Loss and a Sporty Figure?

Not every exercise is equally good for weight loss. Some of them can even hinder your goal if your goal is to lose weight.

Contrary to popular belief, strength training is not that important in the process of losing weight. If you are simply striving for muscle tone and a fit figure, then simple cardio (aerobic) exercises will be quite enough. Unlike strength (anaerobic) training, cardio actively burns fat by using oxygen.

What exercises are really effective for weight loss:

1. Burpees are a great exercise that involves the entire body and makes the heart beat faster.
2. Jumping rope is a simple but effective way to burn a lot of calories.
3. Jumping up from a low squat - perfectly pumps up the legs and buttocks, and also helps burn fat.
4. Treadmill/jogging is a classic way of cardio training.
5. Swimming - involves all muscle groups, gentle on joints.
6. Plank - strengthens the core muscles, which is important for proper posture and overall tone.
7. Exercise bike/stepper - a good option for leg training and cardio.

In general, any cardio exercises that make you sweat and raise your heart rate will be useful for weight loss. It is important to find something you enjoy so that you can do it regularly.

As for strength exercises (bench press, squats, deadlifts, barbell curls): They are needed to build muscle mass and increase strength. If your goal is to become stronger and increase muscle volume, then yes, these exercises will suit you. But if you want to lose weight, then you should not start with them.

The fact is that strength training, especially at the beginning, can lead to the fact that the muscles under the fat layer begin to grow, and visually you will look even bigger than you were before. It is better to first get rid of excess weight with the help of cardio and proper nutrition, and then, if you want, add strength training to create a more sculpted figure. The main thing is to listen to your body and not overdo it. Start small and gradually increase the load. And do not forget about proper nutrition - it plays a key role in the process of losing weight.

Sample Workout Program for Weight Loss

1. Warm-up - always start with a 5-10 minute warm-up. This could be a light jog in place, arm and leg swings, joint rotations.
2. Cool-down - at the end of the workout, do a 5-10 minute cool-down. This could be light stretching exercises.
3. Pulse - try to keep your pulse in the fat-burning zone (approximately 120-130 beats per minute). If you have a heart rate monitor, this will help you control the intensity of the workout.
4. Rest - take a 1-2 minute break between sets. As your physical fitness improves, try to reduce the rest time.
5. Regularity - exercise 3-4 times a week. It is important that your workouts are regular.
6. Nutrition - do not forget about proper nutrition. Without a balanced diet, workouts will be less effective.
7. Listen to your body - if you feel severe pain, stop the exercise. Do not overload yourself at first.
8. Progression - gradually increase the load. For example, increase the number of repetitions, sets, or time of the exercises.

Workout Routine (Circuit Training):

This routine involves performing exercises one after another with minimal rest in between (30-60 seconds), and then resting 1-2 minutes between circuits.

Day 1:

1. Jumping Rope: 4 sets of 30 seconds.
2. Plank: 4 sets of 30-60 seconds (start with the time you are comfortable holding).
3. Air Squats: 3 sets of 15-20 reps.
4. Exercise Bike (easy): 5-7 minutes.

Day 2:

1. Treadmill (walking or light jogging): 5-7 minutes.
2. Burpees: 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
3. Crunches: 4 sets of 20-30 reps.
4. Low Squat Jumps: 3 sets of 8-10 reps.

Day 3:

1. Exercise Bike (easy): 5-7 minutes.
2. Push-ups (or wall push-ups, if difficult): 4 sets of 8-12 reps.
3. Squat Push-ups: 3 sets of 10-15 reps.
4. Plank: 4 sets of 30-60 seconds.
5. Jump Rope: 3 sets of 30-45 seconds.

Important points:

• This program is just an example. You can adapt it to your needs and capabilities.
• Do not forget that for weight loss, not only sports are important, but also proper nutrition.
• If your goal is not only to lose weight, but also to achieve pronounced muscle definition, then after losing weight you can add strength exercises in a high-repetition mode.

Question: How many workouts per day and per week are needed to lose weight effectively and without harm to health?

Answer: If we talk about cardio (aerobic) training, there is a certain flexibility here. Since they do not injure muscles as much as strength (anaerobic) training, they can be done more often. Moreover, you have a heart rate limit (120-130 beats per minute), which reduces the intensity of the load.

Why is cardio so good for frequent training? The fact is that cardio increases the heart rate, but does not affect the increase in blood pressure as much as strength training. With strength training, as the heart rate increases, so does the pressure.

However, you should not overdo it. For effective weight loss, it is enough to do cardio training once a day and no more than 4-5 times a week. Why is that? Because even light training requires time to recover. If you do it too often, you can overtrain.

Signs of overtraining:

• Constant fatigue
• Decreased performance
• Insomnia
• Loss of appetite
• Irritability
• Frequent illnesses

If you notice these symptoms, it means you need to reduce the intensity of your training or take a break.

It is important to remember:

1. Quality is more important than quantity. It is better to have 4 quality workouts than 7 “half-hearted” ones.
2. Listen to your body. If you feel tired, give yourself a rest.
3. Do not forget about proper nutrition and sleep. They play a key role in recovery and weight loss.

As a result, the optimal frequency of training for weight loss is 4-5 times a week. Once a day, with an emphasis on cardio, but do not forget about proper nutrition and rest.

How to Eat to Lose Weight?

Without proper nutrition, even the most intense workouts will not bring the desired result. It is important to understand what you need to eat and what is better to refuse.

Basic principles of nutrition for weight loss:

• The key point is to consume fewer calories than you spend. This creates an energy deficit, and the body begins to use fat reserves.
• It is important not only to reduce calories, but to provide the body with all the necessary nutrients.
• Divide your diet into several meals (4-5 times a day) in small portions. This will help maintain stable blood sugar levels and control appetite.

What should you eat to lose weight?

What to exclude or limit?

• Fast carbohydrates, such as sugar, trans fats, processed foods and alcohol should be excluded.

Sugar, sweets, soda, baked goods - all these are sources of empty calories that are quickly absorbed and cause a sharp jump in blood sugar. Trans fats are found in fast food, fried foods, margarine. They are harmful to health and contribute to weight gain.

Sausages, hot dogs, semi-finished products - contain a lot of salt, sugar, fat and preservatives. And alcohol contains a lot of calories and slows down metabolism.

Make a menu for the week in advance and go to the store with a list of products. Cook food at home, because this will allow you to control the ingredients and portion sizes.

Pay attention to the composition of products and the content of calories, fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Also, do not skip meals, as regular meals help control appetite and maintain stable blood sugar levels. And do not eat before bed, your last meal should be 2-3 hours before bed.

Question: Which gym should I choose for weight loss: a sports hall or a gym?

Answer: As long as your goal is to lose weight, you can do almost all the exercises in a gym, without specialized exercise machines (a treadmill, exercise bike, you can replace it with a run outside or around the gym).

In addition, in a regular gym there is much more space than in a gym, which is often cluttered with muscle growth equipment.

On the other hand, modern gyms include a sports ground - a cardio zone, where you can calmly, without fear of touching the exercise machine, do all the exercises you need to lose weight. Another issue is that a subscription to such a gym, including both a strength and cardio zone, is sometimes unreasonably high in cost.

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