The easiest and fastest way to improve your appearance is to burn fat. If you want to look slimmer, spend calories by actively exercising. Weight loss workouts for men and women are radically different. A competent comprehensive approach should include a balanced diet, exercise programs from a professional trainer and rest.
Today, weight loss workouts for men and women are becoming increasingly popular, but with the same goal, these are completely different programs. The features of programs for boys and girls are dictated by the physiological differences in their bodies.
Also, in addition to the training itself for weight loss for men and women, it is important to know the basics of proper nutrition before and after training.
Strength training for weight loss for men
It should be remembered that all weight loss programs for men and women are significantly different. This occurs due to the physiological characteristics of organisms of both sexes. Differences between programs are caused by the following factors:
- The male body stores fat more slowly than the female body and in smaller quantities; it burns it much faster. This happens because a man is by nature a breadwinner, his life is connected with hard physical labor, so fat should be easily converted into energy. However, this does not mean that the stronger sex can safely ignore the need to exercise to lose weight.
- In the body of a man and a woman, on average, the number of fat cells is the same, however, they differ in size and the functioning of enzymes. In men, fat cells are smaller and contain significantly more fat-digesting enzymes.
- A man with large muscle mass per day has a higher energy expenditure for basal metabolism (at rest) than a man with a weak body, and several orders of magnitude higher than a woman, which is also reflected in the men’s training program for weight loss.
- Men constantly have a certain level of anabolic hormones in their blood, which is why their fat cells, when losing weight, respond better to energy activity, which means that a man loses weight to a greater extent due to the consumption of fat rather than muscle tissue.
If you're a man looking to lose weight, try this 3-day weight loss workout.
Complete strength training program in the gym
Before you start training on simulators, it is important to create a program. It must take into account the person’s level of preparedness and the ultimate goal being pursued.
For the beginner level, a basic set of exercises is suitable, which will help the muscles adapt to physical activity. Its duration is 1.5-2 months with visits to the gym twice a week. Approaches are carried out 3-4 times, 12-15 repetitions.
After 2 months. You can switch to another program designed for a more advanced level. Strength exercises at an average level are performed at a faster pace for 15 repetitions of 5 approaches. It is recommended to train 3 times a week. If you need to tighten a certain part of the body to a greater extent, then a greater load is placed on this area.
Exercises to burn belly and side fat
For these zones it is recommended to:
| Crunches with turns | The initial position is lying on your back, with your hands on the back of your head. It is necessary to lift the body off the floor and turn as much as possible, first in one direction, then in the other. You can make crunches more difficult by adding leg movements and performing the “bicycle” exercise. |
| Side crunches | They are considered one of the most effective for creating a beautiful waist and posture. The initial position is lying on your side with your knees bent. It is necessary to move your knees to the left so that the left one touches the floor. As you exhale, with your hands on the back of your head, turn your body to the right, lifting your shoulders slightly off the floor. While inhaling, return to the original position. Repeat on the other side. |
| Lunges with rotation | Performed standing with hands folded in front of the chest. First, take a step forward with your left foot, transferring the main weight to it. Both legs should be bent at right angles. After the lunge, you need to turn your body to the right and hold for one second. Then you should return to the starting position and repeat everything in the same way on the other leg. |
Also effective are exercises such as plank, plank with rolls, reverse crunches, “bicycle”, classic sit-up, and side bends.
Abdominal exercises to burn fat
Abdominal exercises are the basis of workouts for eliminating belly fat and losing weight around the waist.
Applicable:
| Alternate rotation of legs | From a lying position on the floor, rotations are carried out in a circle with each leg in turn. The leg is straightened, the toe is extended, the direction of movement is constantly changing. |
| Rotation of both legs | In a lying position, you need to raise your legs pressed together and describe the maximum diameter circle in one direction and the other. |
Crunches, scissors, burpees, sit-ups, and planks are also effective for the abs.
Effective exercises to burn arm fat
Exercises with dumbbells help to burn arm fat. They are performed in a standing position, with feet shoulder-width apart.
The following three exercises are mainly used:
- The dumbbells are lifted forward in front of you, then bent at the elbow joints. The exercise uses only the forearm, the shoulder part remains in place. It can be performed alternately on each hand. This is especially convenient for beginners.
- Hands with dumbbells are raised forward in front of you, then lowered down. When performing the exercise, your arms should remain straight.
- Hands with dumbbells are raised to the sides. The exercise uses the shoulder joint. The arms are not bent.
You can also strengthen your arm muscles by doing planks, push-ups, and pull-ups.
Exercises to burn leg fat
The following exercises give a good load on all muscle groups of the legs:
| "High Chair" | Performed while standing against a wall. You need to take half a step away from the wall and begin to lower yourself, as if sitting down on a chair. You need to hold in a position that follows the curve of the chair for about 30 seconds. After this, stand up and relieve tension from your legs by shaking your feet a little. |
| Stepping onto the step platform | Alternately step with the left and right foot. The first leg stepping on the platform should be bent at a right angle at the knee. This must be done through muscle tension, not inertia. Gradually the pace increases. To increase the load, dumbbells with minimal weight are taken into your hands. |
Remove fat from the inner thigh exercises
The most effective ways to eliminate fat on the inner thigh are:
| Plie squats | The initial position is with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned outward. You don’t need to squat all the way, only to the level when your legs are parallel to the floor. You need to stay in this position for a few seconds. The exercise is performed slowly with a straight back. |
| Side lunges | As you exhale, from a standing position, perform a lunge with your right leg to the side. The body weight is transferred to this leg and a deep squat is performed. Then return to the original position and repeat everything in the same way on the other leg. |
| Leg raises on the simulator | First you need to choose the right weight. Technique: sitting as strongly as possible and with a high amplitude, spread your legs, stay in this position for a few seconds and then slowly bring your legs back. |
“Plie” and side lunges can be performed in various variations: plie with one toe raise, both, pulsating, pulsating with toe raise, side lunges on toes, diagonal lunges.
How to remove fat above the knees exercises
You can work on the knee joint area using:
| Leg flexion and extension | Lying on your back, you must alternately pull the heels of one and the other leg as close as possible to the buttocks. |
| Deep lunges with twists | Jump into a lunge with the right leg: it should be bent as much as possible at the knee, while the left leg should be extended, straight, on the toe behind. Then 4 downward movements are performed. Then the lunge is transferred to the left leg and 4 downward movements are performed in the same way. |
Exercises to burn fat on the outer thigh at home
To burn fat on the outer thigh, use:
| Swing your legs | Lying on your side with emphasis on your forearm, swing your legs as high as possible. |
| Lunges | From a standing position, lunge forward with your right leg and return to the original position. Do the same on the other leg. |
| Lunge walking | The technique is similar to the previous one, only lunges are performed while walking. The difficulty lies in the need to maintain balance. |
How to remove back fat, exercises
Help to remove wrinkles on the back:
| Side bends with dumbbells | The initial position is standing with your feet spaced shoulder-width apart. You need to put one hand on the back of your head, take a dumbbell in the other and lower it as far as possible. Repeat several times on each side. |
| Push ups | It is necessary to take a lying position. Lower your body, bending your arms at the elbow joints. |
| "Boat" | Starting position: lying on your stomach with your arms stretched up. It is necessary to lift your arms and legs off the floor together and hold there for a few seconds, then return to the original position. |
How to remove fat from armpits exercises
The emphasis on the armpits is done with the following exercises:
| Hand raises with dumbbells | The initial position is standing, arms spread to the sides. You need to take a small dumbbell in each hand. Bring your arms forward in front of you and spread them back to the sides. |
| Wide-arm push-ups | The exercise can be performed from your knees if the classic version is difficult. |
Strength training for weight loss for women
It is somewhat more difficult for women to lose weight, this is explained by a number of characteristics of their bodies:
- A woman's body is naturally programmed to store energy in the form of fat, since after puberty the female body prepares for childbearing.
- In women, fat cells are larger and contain more enzymes responsible for the accumulation of fat.
- In the female body, the amount of muscle tissue is approximately 20-40% lower than in men, this significantly lengthens and complicates the process of losing weight. This happens because muscles expend much more energy than other body tissues.
- There are no male steroid hormones in the female body, therefore, during weight loss through intense training, women's muscles are not protected from destruction.
Taking into account all the features of the female body and, in particular, the nature of enzymes, the fair sex should engage exclusively in female training for weight loss. This will allow you to get exactly the results you want without burning any hard-earned muscle.
All exercises in this workout are done in one superset (in a circuit format). Perform one set of each exercise without resting between sets. Then break for 1-2 minutes, and repeat the circle of exercises. You'll end up doing 3 sets of 20 reps.
During training, the heart rate must be increased (see Karvonen's formula) to trigger fat burning processes, but the weights used are insignificant to ensure comfortable repetition of movements.
The Right Approach to Cardio
Pulse zones
Heart rate - heart rate or, in simple terms, pulse - can be divided into several zones. During training, work is done in two of them - either in the fat burning zone, or at a slightly higher heart rate - in the cardio endurance zone. If the pulse is in the intervals of the fat burning zone, then the body oxidizes fats and uses them as an energy source, and in the second case, the body switches to other energy sources - free carbohydrates, and if they are not there - then amino acids, that is, essentially, muscles .
If a person did a strength training session lasting 40 minutes, and then got on a treadmill and ran for the same amount of time at fast speed, then all the potential results from the strength exercises immediately “burn out.”
Contraindications
There is no one-size-fits-all cardio machine. If a person has a problem with his knees, he should not go on a treadmill, because running is a shock load on the knee joints. If you have problems with the hip joint, then an incorrect position on the exercise bike can worsen these problems.
“The coach will always see from the outside and help correct the incorrect position so that the ligaments are not overloaded and there is no uncomfortable sensation in the knee joint,” says Ivan Moiseenkov. - There are many other contraindications, for example, excess weight - here it is important to avoid compressive load on the spine, so you need to use exercise machines that you can sit on. If there are problems with the joints, the trainer will pay attention to the smoothness of the work, the absence of shock loads, and the correct angles at which the joints should bend.”
Adding cardio to strength training to burn fat
Some people go to the gym to tone up a specific part of their body, such as their abs. Such visitors come to the gym and perform several sets of crunches every day, but do not see any progress. Why?
It is important to know that there is no such thing as localized fat burning. If a person wants to reduce their waist size, several sets of crunches will not help.
For such a result, the fat content in the body must be quite low (for women 14-20%, for men 8-13%), and this can only be done by including cardio exercises in the program on the days between strength training. Aerobic training with elements of interval training is best.
Training program for terrain
So, you have passed the beginner's path. We completed our first program in the gym. You understand that you are already quite big, but there is no relief. The muscles are there, the tone is there, but I want to demonstrate my achievements in the upcoming beach season. You will need a training program to achieve relief. This program will largely overlap with the weight loss program, because... To achieve relief, obviously, you need to get rid of the subcutaneous fat that hides the muscles. The training program, depending on the level of fitness, will contain a large number of cardio loads and various types of circuit training.
Cardio training - maintenance
Interval training
Treadmill training
- 45 seconds of fast walking, then 2 minutes of walking at an average speed. Do 5 sets, but gradually try to increase them to 7.
- Body part: Quadriceps Equipment: Exercise
Treadmill workout
- 4-5 minutes of slow walking.
- Body part: Quadriceps Equipment: Exercise
Treadmill workout
- 25 minutes of walking at an average speed. Gradually increase the time to 30 minutes.
- Body part: Quadriceps Equipment: Exercise
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Training program for beginners
A training program for beginners differs from programs for advanced athletes by a number of principles: - Technically complex, heavy exercises should be excluded at the initial stage (at least if you do not have a qualified coach or training partner working with you) - Closer attention should be paid to circuit training all muscle groups - The most common thing that beginners underestimate (although this is not directly related to training) is diet! The diet must be adjusted in accordance with the loads and goals set - Periodization of exercise. From a “scientific” point of view, periodization is not so important for beginners, since it is hardly worth expecting stagnation in the progress of a beginner who just came to the gym yesterday. BUT for beginners, until sport has become an integral part of their life, motivation is very important. And if you have a very monotonous, monotonous training program, there is a high chance that you will simply give up classes. Therefore, it is worthwhile from the very beginning to take care of the variety of your training - vary heavy strength training with CrossFit training, regular running with HIIT training.
Diet for weight loss
You can’t buy an ideal body without excess fat and with beautiful muscles in a store or through an online catalogue. You really have to work hard to create it. This work is akin to a mosaic; each of its elements is important. Only together they will give an amazing result - a toned body.
Losing extra calories is just math. The number of calories consumed daily should be less than those expended. Professional bodybuilders and fitness models carefully calculate this ratio and therefore can burn as much as they need.
7000 kcal equals one kilogram. This means that if a person spends 1000 kcal more daily than he consumes, then the weight loss per week will be one kilogram.
Proper nutrition for quick weight loss, reasonable rest and recovery, sports supplements, strong motivation and focus on results, quality sleep - there are no trifles in achieving your goal. We study specifically what proper nutrition should be for weight loss.
Eat more vegetables; in the first half of the day you can treat yourself to fruits. Eat often, but in small portions.
How to create a nutrition menu and diet for weight loss will help:
- The best diets for weight loss, the best diet
- Protein diet for weight loss, menu for a week, 7, 10 and 14 days with menu
- A healthy and nutritious diet for weight loss
- How to learn to correctly count calories in food and products
Sports supplements
On training days, your muscles need nutrient support, so drink a protein shake 30 minutes before training, or after working out in the gym. A general set of additives may look like this:
| Protein isolate | It features a deep degree of purification from impurities. Contains less lactose and fat, but more pure protein. Taking isolate is recommended for those who want to lose weight. |
| Pre-workout complex | Increases productivity during sports, strength, endurance, recovery speed between approaches. |
| Vitamin-mineral complex | During intense physical activity, vitamins and minerals are consumed by the body faster. They are also responsible for protein synthesis and are the engine of metabolic processes. |
| BCAAs | Allows muscle fibers to recover faster and provides building material for the growth of lean muscle mass. |
| Fat burner | Created to reduce excess fat deposits. Accelerates the breakdown of fat molecules and converts fat into free energy, increasing its consumption. |
Who needs cardio training?
Strengthening the cardiovascular system is beneficial for everyone, regardless of age and level of physical fitness. Even just a long walk is good cardio activity, and cycling is even more so. But cardio training in the gym under the supervision of an instructor will be much more useful and effective.
Ivan Moiseenkov, trainer of the MyFitness Club:
“Outside, the weather is often the first obstacle: wind, rain, snow, slush, but in the hall an ideal microclimate has been created using an air conditioning system. A regular bicycle is an excellent means of transportation, but training on an exercise bike will be much more beneficial. It’s easier to control the load - it’s very easy to set it up on an exercise bike, plus you need to monitor your condition using a heart rate monitor, and then the cardio training will be done correctly.”
