What to do at the gym to lose weight for beginners
Losing weight can be a complicated process for anyone. Still, for beginners, it can be even more challenging because of the lack of knowledge on improving your diet and exercise or creating the proper diet and exercise routine. The first step to getting started is to figure out what you want to achieve. Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to build muscle? Do you want just to maintain your weight? Once you know what it is you want to achieve, you can create a diet and exercise routine. If you're going to lose weight, try to find a gym or fitness centre with an excellent nutrition program to learn how to eat right and start understanding portion sizes.
What to do at the gym to lose weight for beginners?
1. Cardio
Cardiovascular exercise is essential for losing weight. Cardio workouts burn calories and strengthen the cardiovascular system and promote weight loss. Exercise helps the body metabolize fats and increases endorphin levels, which makes individuals feel happy and satisfied. Most people who want to lose weight should work out three times per week. Make sure to choose activities that you enjoy doing. You could try walking, jogging, biking, swimming, dancing, playing sports, or any other activity that gets your heart pumping.
2. Resistance Training
Resistance training builds muscle mass and helps build bones and connective tissue. These muscles help stabilize joints and prevent injuries. Muscle burns about five times more calories than fat. Start with small weights and increase the amount you lift over time. When lifting heavy weights, focus on proper technique to avoid injury. If you’re looking to get stronger, perform each set to failure. Failure means performing an exercise until you cannot complete another repetition without getting injured.
3. Flexibility Training
Flexibility training is recommended after cardio and resistance training. Improving flexibility can reduce pain and improve the range of motion. Stretch for 10-20 seconds and repeat four to six times. Perform the stretches slowly and gradually. You may use towels, blankets, elastic bands, or weights to stretch tight muscles.
4. Dieting
A diet plan is essential to achieving weight loss success. A good diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy products. Avoid eating smaller portions and eating foods high in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, and added sugar. Avoid junk food, refined carbs, and processed meats.
5. Hydration
Drink plenty of water while exercising. Water keeps the body cool and prevents dehydration. Dehydration can lead to headaches, dizziness, cramps, nausea, and fatigue. Drink 16 ounces of water before working out and drink 8-16 ounces every 20 minutes while working out. To stay hydrated during workouts, carry a water bottle with you.
6. Sleep
Sleep is essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Healthy sleep allows your body to recover and repair itself. Aim for seven to eight hours of quality sleep each night. Too much or too little sleep can cause weight gain and unhealthy habits.
7. Exercising After Eating
If you have just eaten a big meal, wait 30 minutes before starting your workout. Your body takes longer to digest and absorb the food you eat. Take advantage of this natural period of digestion to shed some extra pounds. If you need to skip breakfast, eat something light like fruit, nuts, oatmeal, or cereal.
How to use weights and cardio together?
Cardio workouts help lose weight, but they do not burn fat! Cardio workouts increase fat-burning capacity. If you perform a high-intensity cardio workout (e.g., running), it will burn calories. While performing a cardio exercise, you may experience increased blood flow throughout your body. And blood flow increases metabolic activity — you're burning calories even after the workout! If you combine cardio with resistance training, you'll maximise your cardiovascular and muscular fitness. Here's how to make sure you get maximum results:
1. Do 10 minutes of cardio before each session of lifting.
2. Perform two sets of 8-12 repetitions of lower-body exercises and three sets of 8-12 reps of upper-body exercises.
3. Rest 30 seconds between each set.
4. Complete one entire circuit during each set. That means performing one complete round of your chosen cardio exercise and one full set of your exercise routine.
5. Add some core work to your routine. Core strengthening exercises should be performed before each cardio session, along with stretching.
6. Alternate cardio and weight lifting several times per week. Choose a different cardio activity on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; choose an extra weight-lifting day. You never want to switch back and forth between cardio and weight lifting too often, as that can cause muscle imbalance. Instead, alternate days until you reach three weeks total. Then you can decide if you'd rather keep alternating or go back to doing cardio and weight lifting once per week.
7. Always warm up before working out, whether you're doing cardio or resistance training. Warming up your muscles prepares them to contract appropriately, helps prevent injuries, and enables you to maintain proper posture.
8. Your heart rate should begin to accelerate after about five to ten minutes of warming up. But don't stop moving! Keep walking, jogging, sprinting, jumping rope, cycling, or any other aerobic activity until you've reached the point where your breathing feels laboured, and your heart is pounding.
9. Once you've reached your target heart rate zone, rest for at least two minutes to allow your heart rate to drop back to normal levels naturally. Repeat this cycle twice more.
10. Stretch immediately after you finish your workout. Stretching reduces muscle soreness and allows time for your body to repair itself. Doing cardio and weight lifting without stretching first can lead to tight muscles, stiffness, and aches.
Cardio machines at the gym?
1. Cardiovascular exercise
Cardiovascular exercise (or cardio) machines are designed to burn calories while increasing endurance, strength, and stamina. These include treadmills, elliptical trainers, stationary bikes, rowing machines, cross-trainers, and steppers. You can use cardiovascular exercise machines even if you don't have access to a fancy gym, but they're not always the best option. If you want to ensure you get the maximum benefit from your time at the gym, you should stick to these exercises.
2. Treadmill
The treadmill is one of the most popular cardio machines; however, treadmills are relatively expensive and require a lot of space. A treadmill may be ideal if you live in a large apartment or house, spend a lot of time indoors, or don't enjoy working outside. However, choose something else if you want to lose weight, improve endurance, and build muscle.
3. Elliptical trainer
An elliptical machine looks similar to a regular treadmill, except it doesn't move forward as fast. While this makes it easier than running on a treadmill, it's still challenging enough to burn plenty of calories. An elliptical machine builds lean muscle, burns fat, and strengthens joints. Plus, it takes less room than a treadmill, making it perfect for those who don't have much space.
4. Stationary bike
Stationary bikes are excellent for aerobic workouts, especially for people who would otherwise find cycling difficult. Because they aren't moving, they allow extended periods without getting tired or winded. Like an elliptical trainer, stationary bikes strengthen upper and lower body muscles.
5. Rowing machine
Rowing machines work the arms, legs, back, and core. Like rowing boats, rowing machines are ideal for toning the entire body. Many consider them the most effective way to tone their whole bodies, including abs, biceps, thighs, calves, and forearms. Rowing machines are great alternatives to traditional weights if you need a quick fix.
6. Cross-training
Cross-training refers to using different equipment or activities to achieve specific fitness goals. For instance, you could run on a treadmill while lifting weights or doing pushups. Cross-training helps you to challenge yourself and stay motivated to keep exercising.
7. Stepper
Steppers are similar to stair climbers, except instead of climbing stairs, you ascend and descend by stepping up and down. Steppers are great for individuals who need extra motivation to work out or are not interested in heavy weights or high-intensity, high-intensity exercise. Steppers are ideal for beginners due to their simplicity.
