Weight Loss Workout

It is scientifically proven that aerobic training (or weight loss workout) is most effective for burning fat and forming a sculpted figure in men and women. In the long run, high physical activity has a greater effect on weight maintenance than diet. Aerobic training strengthens the cardiovascular system, increases endurance and performance of the body, improves mental state. Aerobic training accelerates recovery from mental stress and increases resistance to stress. This aerobic training program is universal in nature, using it; you can create an individual training program that suits you best.

The study showed that interval cardio workouts (3 times a week, 20 minutes each, without taking into account the warm-up for 10 minutes) can reduce weight by about 1.5 kg in 3 months of classes. According to research, fat loss was 2 kg, while there was a slight increase in muscle (+ 0.5 kg of muscle mass). Strength training gives worse results. It is worth noting that these tests were conducted on volunteers who did not change their usual diet and daily routine. 

Read more: Training and accelerating metabolism

Thus, training makes only 15-20% of the contribution to bodybuilding, 50% is diet, and 25% is sports nutrition and pharmacology. You can get a quality result much faster if you use an integrated approach.

How to improve aerobic workout results?

• Pay attention to the choice and planning of training, avoid overtraining;
• Follow an adequate diet;
• Take appropriate sports nutrition;
• Use pharmacological support.

Read also: Why I cannot lose weight

The rules of aerobic training for weight loss

• Getting started training, increase the load gradually, so that the body can adapt to physical work.
• Train at least 3 times a week. The more often you exercise, the greater the result you will achieve. Optimal exercise – every day.
• The best time for aerobic training is in the morning (before breakfast). In the morning hours, metabolism is accelerated under the influence of activating hormones – catecholamine’s, glucocorticoids and testosterone. Scientists have proved that aerobic training of the same duration and intensity in the morning requires 20% more energy than in the evening. Thus, in the morning you will burn 20% more fat than in the evening. In addition, it is better to engage in at the same time of the day, since circadian rhythms adapt to the regime of physical activity.
• The minimum duration of aerobic training is 30 minutes; the optimal duration is 1 hour. The longer you exercise, the more fat is burned.
• Do not eat anything 1 hour before aerobic training and within 1 hour after training. If you eat food before training, you will burn the energy of food, while fat will not be included in the flow. After training, there is a large amount of free fats in the blood, if you do not eat, then these fats will be destroyed during metabolic processes for water and energy, if you eat, then all free fats will return to adipose tissue.
• An important role in the effectiveness of aerobic training is intensity. The intensity of aerobic training correlates with the heart rate, so the level of training intensity can be clearly determined by the pulse. It is proved that for weight loss, the heart rate should not be lower than 120 beats per minute. Remember that a pulse rate above 140 beats per minute is permissible only after 3 weeks of training, which are required to adapt the cardiovascular system.
• For maximum results, observe interval training. Start your workout at a slow pace to prepare your body for the load. Then continue training with wave-like intensity: lower and increase the intensity every 2-5-10 minutes. Finish your workout by gradually slowing down.
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• For weight loss, predominantly aerobic exercise should be performed, since strength training burns significantly fewer calories. This is confirmed by a number of studies. Moreover, it is proved that strength exercises are not able to “unwind metabolism.”

The best types of exercise for weight loss

1. Cardio training – adapted programs for burning fat.
2. Fast walking is the best type of aerobic exercise; it allows you to speed up the metabolism and the process of burning fat. It is the most natural activity. Walking is recommended for people with diseases of the joints of the lower extremities and spine, it is less traumatic. Walking does not cause an overload of the cardiovascular system. When losing weight, walking should be fast – at least 120 steps per minute, at a slower pace, the process of losing weight is much slower. The most effective interval walking with a variable pace: fast, slow, fast …, as well as walking in terrain with a variable landscape, with slopes and ascents.
3. Running is an alternative to walking. Running, like walking, does not require special simulators and generally a gym. However, along with this increases the load on the joints and spine. In addition, unlike walking, it requires a special uniform, shoes and prepared terrain.
4. Swimming – can be combined with other types of load, as well as separately. Swimming strengthens the muscular corset of the back, corrects posture, is useful for the spine, it creates a load not only on the legs, but also on the shoulder girdle. Swimming is the most harmonious type of physical activity; however, it is conditionally aerobic exercise.
5. Active games – football, basketball, volleyball and so on.
6. Bicycle, rollers – make training more fun, but they burn much less calories if you arrange simple walks on the sidewalks. Long, intense rides are required.
7. Power load is also necessary in alternating with aerobic (both men and women), since it allows you to maintain muscle mass and make the figure more prominent (tightened).

The optimal pattern of alternation: weekly you must to do 1-2 strength training in the gym and 2-4 aerobic workouts for the entire weight loss cycle. Most experts agree that it is undesirable to combine cardio (if this is not a 10-minute warm-up) and power load in one session. 

Read more: Strength and cardio training

Calorie consumption table by activity

Adapted calorie expenditure data for various types of physical activity taken from “Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance” (McArdle, W., Katch, F., & Katch, V., 5th edition, 2001, Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins).

All figures in this table are given based on the calculation of calorie consumption in a person weighing 70 kg. If the weight is less, then for every 9 kg less than 70, the specified calorie consumption rate is reduced by 13%, and for every 9 kg above 70 kg, we add to the indicated figure 12%.

Nutrition during training

Proper nutrition during weight loss training is a fundamental success factor in weight loss. Nothing can help you if you consume extra calories, especially if they enter the body in the form of simple carbohydrates. During workouts aimed at losing weight, the calorie content of the diet should be significantly reduced (approximately ~ 500 kcal less than the daily norm). 

Read more: Diet for weight loss

In addition to (calorie deficit) it is important to observe:

• adequate protein intake (1.5-2.5 g per 1 kg of body weight) is especially important for muscle preservation;
• low / medium level of carbohydrate intake (low – in the days of lack of training, medium – in the days of strength training) and the exclusion of fast carbohydrates;
• high intake of unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.

Sports nutrition for weight loss

Read the main article: Sports nutrition for weight loss (optimized complex) and Fat burners

Pharmacology for weight loss

• Caffeine
• Thyroxine
• Yohimbine
• Clenbuterol

Active car use is associated with obesity

As researchers at the University of Australia have established, driving a car for more than an hour a day makes an average person more than two kilograms harder than staying behind the wheel for 15 minutes or less. As a result, the people who drive a lot usually have the waist circumference of 1.5 centimeters more. This was shown by studies of 2800 adult drivers. Each driver was evaluated for Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference, fasting plasma glucose and a number of markers associated with diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Experts insist: you need to spend less time behind the wheel and avoid a sedentary lifestyle. 

A study conducted in March 2016 among 150,000 British people between the ages of 40 and 69 showed that those who walk, ride a bicycle or even use public transport before work have lower fat and lower body mass index than at car drivers.

Training programs

• Workouts for Cutting
• Weight Training
• Treadmill Training Programs
• The best exercise equipment for weight loss
• Interval Training