“Sorry, we don’t have a size like yours”, “You need plus-size clothes”, “XXL is too small for you”, “We don’t keep 1X, 2X, 3X”. Sounds familiar? If you are tired of such remarks and a load of extra weight, you have found the right article. We are going to lead you through the essential points of the weight loss journey and help you create the best workout plan. Moreover, To develop an effective personalized workout plan for weight loss, consider consulting https://
Why do you need to exercise?
When addressing the problem of weight, the majority of us side with food restrictions only, following insane and useless fad diets, which offer miraculous fat-melting results. As such measures are rarely successful and lead to weight gain in a short while, the whole weight loss idea is claimed to be impossible and extra fat tissue is just natural. However, this approach is fundamentally wrong.
Let’s say, you wonder how to lose 15 pounds in a month for a woman, it’s quite a typical request, as looks like the most ‘do-able’ number to reach.
The first thought to pop up in your head – limit your diet as much as possible and skip meals whenever possible. It may work for some time, a few days, or a week, and the scales will show a significant shift in weight. Yet, it’s a deceptive result, as the only thing you can lose in such a short period of time is the excess of water, and all the fat deposits will be carefully preserved.
If you keep the “starve-longer” mode, your body will start burning fat and muscle tissue for energy, and you will happily boast about the effectiveness of the diet changes for weight loss. And here we need to stop for a moment. Fat tissue going away is your goal, however, muscle loss is definitely not a part of a plan.
If you want to burn fat, not just lose weight, you need to build a workout plan, to preserve the muscle mass and make your body leaner.
How to create a workout plan?
!!! Before getting down to any kind of training, it is vital to have a check-up of your body, to make sure there are no restrictions.
1. Find motivation
Weight loss requires your own dedication to the process and desire for a ground-breaking change. The motivation shouldn’t come from outer sources, as it is not long-lasting. The one that will keep you going in the moment of doubt comes from your decision to change and your ability to control your habits.
2. Set the REALISTIC goal
Being realistic is the key to success. It is a proven fact that short-term goals work better regarding their viability. A slow-paced approach will lead to achievable results, while a ‘quick and safe’ weight loss will typically lead to failure and stress, as these two words aren’t matching.
The most significant advantage of a moderate approach is that your body gradually learns a new behavioral pattern – exercising, choice of healthy food, mindful eating, etc., making it a part of a new lifestyle, not a temporary measure.
For instance, a lot of women wonder how to lose 15 pounds a month, thinking it will show good results once and forever. However, if we look into medical research, such an idea isn’t about safe weight loss, but the rapid weight loss tips.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, healthy weight loss is about 1-2 pounds a week, thus, 4-8 pounds a month. Such a moderate approach will provide you with a sustainable and long-lasting result.
3. Schedule the workout days
Properly chosen days for a workout will make the whole routine easier. Analyze your typical week and define the days that are less busy than others. It is also important to schedule rest days, as they help your body to recover and regain strength.
The duration of the workouts is highly individual, as well as their effectiveness. It’s essential to be consistent and follow the schedule without excuses. If you skip all the workouts during the week, it doesn’t mean you can make up for it by having a long and exhausting training at the end of the week. Regular exercising will benefit your body more than occasional visits to the gym.
4. Type of a workout
After finally plucking up the courage and deciding to step into the sport, it is easy to get lost in the variety of workouts, each one being claimed to be the best. The two most popular types of workouts are cardio and strength training. Which one is better for the weight loss?
Cardiovascular training
Cardio, or cardiovascular, exercises strengthen the whole body and improve the lung capacity. Cardio is any kind of exercise that elevates the heart rate due to a rhythmic and repetitive contraction of muscles. Cardio is claimed to burn more calories per session, compared to other forms of a workout. However, the number of calories will depend on the physical characteristics. The higher the initial weight, the more calories the body will burn to fuel the exercise time. The lower weight gets, the lower the calorie expenditure markers.
Another benefit is the convenience of exercising. Unlike strength training, there is no need for other tools and inventory, and you can perform it anywhere you like, which makes it even more appealing – parks, forests, squares, embankments, etc.
Not all cardio exercises are the same in terms of influence on the body. There are three main categories:
H.I.I.T. – high-intensity interval training
A workout that consists of briefs of anaerobic exercises that are followed by short periods of rest. The explosive performance lasts for 5 to 30 seconds, raising the heart rate by 90 percent, then it is followed by the resting period for a heart rate recovery.
HIIT’s influence on metabolism lasts for 24-48 hours, depending on your efforts. Such benefits help to burn calories not just inside the gym, but outside as well, when not exercising anymore. The effective weight loss exercises to perform – burpees, planks, spinning, sprinting, squatting, etc. The trick is to combine high-intensity outbursts with low-intensity periods.
Say, running. 20-30 seconds of sprint will change to 30-40 seconds of rest. The types of workouts can be changed or be the same.
HIIT exercises can cause muscle soreness and will take more time to recover. It is an effective weight loss exercise for those who are on a tight schedule, and for busy women weight loss as it helps to burn a big number of calories in the shortest time possible.
M.I.S.S. – moderate-intensity steady-state training
Probably the most common choice for a beginner weight loss for women plan, as the pace of the workout is chosen individually. It helps to develop endurance and reduce stress. MISS raises a heart rate of 140-160 BMP, and keeps it at this level throughout the workout, burning calories and developing more strength of the body.
MISS includes spin bike, stair master, jogging, rowing, treadmill, running, stair running, etc.
LISS – low-intensity steady-state training
It is a slow, yet steady way of losing extra weight. It raises the heart rate to 100 to 130 beats per minute. This type of aerobic activity has no metabolic effect, yet it helps to maintain a steadily high level of physical activity. Cycling, swimming, and walking are the best choice. Although they don’t look like real workouts, they bring in positive results.
Strength training
Strength training ( resistance training) is the increase of muscle strength by making them work against weight or force. It is an anaerobic type of exercise (activities that break down glucose for energy without using oxygen). The weights used as resistance can be your own body weight, free weights, weight machines, resistance bands, plyometrics, dumbbells, barbells, kettles, medicine balls, sandbags, weight machines, etc.
Typical strength training concentrates on strength, hypertrophy, power, and endurance.
Principles of strength training:
- Overload – muscles can quickly adjust to the chosen load, thus it is important to build up the load to keep progressing.
- Reversibility – once the load is removed for an extended period, the effects will be lost as well.
- Specification – exercises should be chosen for every specific group of muscles
- Progress – the overload should be planned within optimal time frames, to improve the performance.
Examples of strength training workouts are pull-ups, push-ups, glute bridges, squats, deadlifts, walking lunges, bicep curls, overhead tricep extensions, etc.
Strength training develops physical and mental health, reduces cognitive and muscular decline, and thus aging, maintains flexibility, and posture, and benefits the overall health of the body.
Considering that cardio and strength workouts are both highly advantageous for the development of physical strength, it is worth combining them in a weekly physical load. You can dedicate two days to light or moderate cardio training, and one day to strength training. Such a start will help your body adjust to a new behavioral pattern, and you will feel which exercises work better.
The bottom line
Weight loss isn’t the easiest type of routine, however, it shouldn’t be perceived as a temporary measure in order to reach the desired weight. Losing weight can be much easier than maintaining it within healthy limits. Review your menu, balance the nutrition, plan a healthy amount of physical load, and find the inner strength to make such a routine your habit. When you see this whole process as a way to improve, it will rather be a pleasure than a challenge.