As scientists have established, a person's energy consumption during exercise is limited by oxygen consumption. Inhalation of one liter of oxygen is equivalent to “burning” 5 calories, however, an athlete is able to inhale no more than 3-4 liters of oxygen per minute at the highest rate of movement. This means that the average energy consumption per minute will be a little more than 15-20 calories.
The average bodybuilder typically trains at two-thirds of their maximum intensity. This means energy expenditure equal to 8-10 calories per minute. As a result, it turns out that for a classic half-hour workout, the athlete will “burn” a little more than 300-400 calories. And this despite the fact that "melting" 400 g of subcutaneous fat requires 3500 calories!
Fortunately, everything is not so hopeless. The fact is that the “burning” of calories does not stop with the end of the workout. The process seems to be gaining inertia, which persists for at least another 12 hours.
Moreover, the additional energy consumption during the recovery period is equal to half of the initial energy consumption! This means a solid minus in another 150-200 calories. Thus, the total energy consumption after 30 minutes of physical activity will already be 550-600 calories! This is the equivalent of adding another 15 minutes to your workout.
It must be remembered that fats are not the only source of energy for the body. Other such sources are dietary carbohydrates, liver glycogen, and protein molecules. Since each of them, including fats, releases energy at different rates, the body has to choose between them. So, training at high intensity is accompanied by the utilization of carbohydrates, but low intensity “turns on” fats. Thus, when you sit on a bicycle ergometer to lose weight, you need to pedal for a long time, but slowly. The faster you "ride", the further you find yourself from your goal - "burning" subcutaneous fat.
In the post-workout period, everything turns upside down. If you trained at low intensity, then your body does not even remember fat as an energy source for subsequent recovery. But if you trained super intensively, then the utilization of fats grows by more than 300%!
Intensive training has another advantage. It “launches” a very special mechanism in the body, the so-called. "useless" calorie burning. Thanks to him, excess calories are no longer deposited in the form of subcutaneous fat. Under the influence of adrenaline secretion enhanced by training, they turn into a physiologically "useless" type of energy - heat.
Intense training is the only known way to increase muscle "mass". And this is another advantage of such training for those who want to lose weight. The fact is that different tissues and organs of the body require different energy costs to maintain the necessary biochemical reactions in them. The most energy-intensive tissue is adipose tissue. It takes away from a person most of the energy he receives from the external environment (that's why overweight people are distinguished by slowness and slowness).
If you train intensively, then as muscle tissue grows, the palm in energy consumption passes to it. Moreover, the higher the muscle "mass", the more calories it needs, even at rest. With extreme muscle volume, muscle energy consumption increases so much that food calories simply do not have time to turn into subcutaneous fat.
Thus, anyone who expects to lose weight with the help of sports should clearly understand: it is in vain to hope for the “burning out” of subcutaneous fat with the help of a short period of shock physical activity. Success will be temporary. Anyone who wants to lose weight once and for all must make friends with sports firmly, so that with regular and hard training, turn his body into a calorie-grinding machine. You will have to "teach" your body to lose weight. Well, like any study, it is a long and difficult process.
Bodybuilding and weight loss are closely related industries that complement each other. Losing weight through bodybuilding is a salvation for many people who have tried dozens of profitable marketing moves on themselves.
Weight loss in bodybuilding is a natural process that requires:
- Knowledge about the training process. You will gain this knowledge in the process of familiarization with this rubric.
- your labor. You can increase your life efficiency with the help of.
The basis of weight loss
Weight loss in bodybuilding is based on several basic principles, the understanding of which frees you from knowing many particulars:
- The principle of energy deficit. To lose weight, calorie expenditure must exceed their consumption. You can achieve this result with:
- Diets. Diet cuts. Example: the daily calorie intake for your body is 2500 units. Now you consume 2800-3000 calories daily, which leads to. To start losing weight, you need to create a deficit of 300-500 calories - reduce consumption to 2000-2200 units per day. Losing weight with a single diet is associated with physical discomfort, a constant feeling of hunger.
- Workouts. Increase in energy expenditure. In the framework of the same example, thanks to the combination and increase energy costs to 3000-3300 units. Spending exceeds consumption, a person begins to lose weight. This path is associated with the need to train a lot and often (in the framework of this example). If you consume approximately as much as you spend (weight has been stable for the last 4-8 weeks), losing weight through training is the best method of body shaping.
- Training and nutrition modification. The best way to lose weight. Slightly, almost imperceptibly, we cut the diet, and begin to train. It looks like this: subtract 400 units from 2800 calories. We burn another 300 units on average with the help of training. We go to the number "2000" at a rate (to maintain the current weight) of 2500 units. Due to this, we start the process of losing weight.
The main thing is to create an energy deficit. Training is good because it speeds up the metabolism, which is expressed in an increase in the daily calorie intake. Conditionally: before the start of training, without taking into account the increase in energy costs and other factors, your metabolic rate showed a norm of 2500 calories per day. After 2 weeks of training - 2700 calories.
- The principle of load progression in. Training stress should constantly increase - this is the key to rapid weight loss and bringing the body into optimal shape. At each (permissible - every 2-4 workouts, depending on the body's capabilities) training, we increase the load. Adding new exercises, weights, sets and reps. Do not be afraid: in your feelings, the severity of the training will not increase. The body will gradually get used to each load taken. Six months later, the feeling of squatting with a 60 kg barbell will be equal to what you are experiencing now when doing squats with 20 kg.
- The principle of combination. Weight loss in bodybuilding is a combination of power and aerobic exercise. We train different body systems, different muscle fibers and burn maximum calories for the fastest progress.
- The principle of gradualness. No need to guess how to lose weight in a week, and then wonder why the lost pounds returned so quickly. Weight loss in bodybuilding is a gradual but long-term weight loss, for which you need to bide your time. We all want fast results, but we don't want to understand that 30 kilograms of fat that has been accumulated over 30 years will not leave you in a week or a month. Those men and women who rush into training without a system, without preparation, drop out very quickly. The load should be increased gradually. Otherwise, there is an increase in the level of cortisol - a stress hormone, the influence of which drives the athlete into apathy, despondency and depression in a period of 1 to 3 weeks. You need to approach training gradually in order to lose weight forever, and not for 1 week.
- Pleasure principle. Training should be enjoyable. Over time, when you begin to notice the result of training, working on yourself will turn into one of the main pleasures in life. The point is the so-called reward system in the brain, which rewards a person for beneficial actions with hormones of pleasure. In the first days of training, when the result is not yet noticeable, the body may perceive training as something harmful due to the destruction of the usual way of life. The process of getting used to training, and the beginning of getting significant pleasure from them, takes from 2 to 4 weeks. In order not to give up ahead of time, and get not only a cool figure, but also your favorite hobby, read the sections before starting training.
When and how much to train? Training Stages
There are no exact recommendations regarding the frequency of training for weight loss. Approximately 3-4 workouts per week. This figure is not related to your individual characteristics. To understand how often you need to train, we divide the training process into 4 stages:
- Traumatization muscle fibers - training, during which the trained tissues of the body are injured. In training, muscles are destroyed, not grown! The level of cortisol increases, which must be reduced in the recovery process. Fans of everyday workouts should understand that their body does not have time to recover, and high levels of stress hormones lead to:
- End of training after a few weeks. You just don't have the energy to continue.
- Desire to reduce cortisol through food.
Hence the surprise in the style of "I train so much, but I'm not losing weight."
- Recovery. Muscles, hormonal and nervous systems are restored. The water-salt balance is replenished, the violation of which threatens the bodybuilder with edema. Muscle pain is the main companion of the recovery phase. At this stage, you can not train!
- Supercompensation. The body is in shock from the new load. In order to overcome this shock, and not get it again if a similar training is repeated, a “reserve” of muscles is created, the tone of the nervous system increases. At this stage, you need to observe the principle of progression of loads and conduct a workout. This increases the efficiency of training in the gym to the maximum.
- Loss of supercompensation. In the absence of training during the supercompensation phase, supercompensation is lost - the muscles and other body systems return to the pre-training state.
You need to train only in the supercompensation phase!
Over time, you will learn to independently determine the best moment for training. For now, focus on the following "symptoms":
- The muscle group you plan to train should not hurt. The athlete should not experience discomfort. At the same time, muscles that will not be trained in the upcoming workout may hurt. Muscle pain is a sign of the recovery phase.
- The thought of exercising is not disgusting. Beginners often shock their psyche too much, which leads to nervous exhaustion, psychological fatigue. It is important not to confuse fatigue with laziness.
- The optimal training frequency for the average beginner is to work on a muscle group once every 4-6 days. Focus on these terms when drawing up a weight loss program. Small muscles (biceps, triceps, deltas, abs) can be trained more often.
Before getting acquainted with your first weight loss program, you need to understand: training in the gym is only 50% of success. No matter how hard you plow in the gym, if after a workout you move to McDonald's for the next 5 hours and sweep away all the fast food in your path, there will be no weight loss.
Athletes who work on the figure in the gym do not have to severely limit their diet. It all comes down to caloric content, the balance between spending and getting energy.
To increase the rate of weight loss and improve health, use the following recommendations:
- Start counting calories. Find out your daily energy intake, and, based on the figure, adjust the diet. During the first week, do not make significant changes. Weigh yourself, then for 7 days in a row write down the calorie content of each day. After a week, sum up the numbers obtained and divide the amount by 7. The result of the division is the average calorie content of your diet over the past week. Get on the scales. Weight has decreased by more than 2 kilograms - do not change anything in the diet. You can only heal him. Less than 2 kilograms, but more than 1 - subtract 200 calories from your current diet. Consume an average of 200 fewer calories each day. Weight has decreased, but less than 1 kilogram - subtract 350 calories. Weight has not decreased - 450 calories. Increased by less than a kilogram - 550 calories. Increased by more than a kilogram - 650 calories. More than 2 kilograms - 750. More than 4 kilograms - 900. With a probability of 95%, your weight will not increase after the start of training. An exception is the case when, after a workout, the “bodybuilder” goes to conquer fast food. Changing the calorie intake in this way is the best way to lose weight.
- Get rid of harmful, high-calorie foods. Eliminate only the most harmful. Fast food, high-calorie sweets, fried foods, other high-calorie foods - start in that order. It is not necessary to give up everything at once, but one, the most harmful product, must be excluded. Replace it with one useful product. Continue to make substitutions until you are comfortable on a healthy diet.
- Add Low Calorie Animal Protein Foods. Lean fish or meat is the best option. Chicken breast or pollock are healthy, low-calorie and tasty sources of protein. Use seasonings to add flavor. An alternative to meat and fish is low-fat kefir or cottage cheese.
- Increase the amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet. They will become a complete replacement for junk food. Vegetables and fruits are a source of fiber, the consumption of which helps to speed up the metabolism, increase the rate of weight loss.
- Change the proportion of B-F-U. The ratio of nutrients is important for the formation of the correct structure of the figure. The correct ratio of B-F-U is getting 25% of calories from protein, 25% from fat, and 50% from carbohydrates. A deviation of plus or minus 5 percent for each of the nutrients is acceptable. Don't let your nutrient ratio look like 15:50:35 - that's how most people eat. A lot of unhealthy fats (mostly from fried foods, fast food), a lot of unhealthy carbohydrates and an almost complete absence of healthy proteins in the diet. This is bad "fuel", which leads to poor health and the formation of a fat, flabby figure.
- Keep track of the water-salt balance. Weigh yourself in the morning and evening. If during the day weight fluctuations reach 2 kilograms, you have swelling. Edema is a consequence of a violation of the water-salt balance in the body. Almost always this is due to insufficient consumption of pure water (not tea, not coffee, not juice) and high salt intake. Rarely, the opposite is true. When there is too much water and no salt. You need a balance that allows you to get rid of the puffy look and a few extra pounds.
- Use , if you do not have enough time to cook protein dishes. The basis for weight loss is protein and amino acids, which nourish the body with energy, preserve muscles and have a beneficial effect on the process of losing weight. Protein and amino acids can be obtained from regular food. But with a lack of time for cooking, it is advisable to use sports nutrition. Do not be afraid of unfamiliar words! Protein and amino acids are completely safe supplements. These are not steroids that cause undoubted harm to the body.
- Losing weight in bodybuilding involves and. Use the principles of a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating if you want to accelerate progress. Changing your diet can be uncomfortable for the first 2-3 weeks. Junk food triggers the release of the dopamine hormone, which makes your brain think of a delicious burger or juicy fries. In the first weeks of changing the diet, there is a decrease in dopamine levels. Then - the sensitivity of dopamine receptors decreases, and a lower level of dopamine is perceived as high. The need to consume junk food disappears. It is important to understand that it is not you who want to eat junk food, but your internal reward system, which is drawn to high-calorie foods due to an evolutionary mistake. More recently, high-calorie food intake equaled survival. Now there is no hunger, we live in an age of food abundance, but the reward system works according to old principles. The consequence is that instead of eating our norm, we consume a little more - in case of hunger. This leads to obesity on a global scale.
- Don't Skip Healthy Fats. The intake of healthy fats should be at the level of 1 gram per kilogram of body weight. In girls, with low fat intake, work is disrupted. KD disappear, problems with women's health begin. Low-fat diets are also dangerous for men - problems with the hormonal system are expressed in a decrease in testosterone levels, a decrease in masculinity, energy and libido. Sources of healthy fats: oily fish, eggs, meat, dairy products, nuts, seeds, oils (raw). Choose at least 2-3 sources of healthy fats and include them in your diet on a regular basis.
- Use the one day rule. This is a way to deceive the psyche, which is afraid to go in a new direction for a long time. Say to yourself: "Today I eat right, and tomorrow - come what may." Repeat the same the next day. The psyche sees the immediate goal - to eat right today, and allocates resources for the implementation of this short-term task. With such an attitude, losing weight is easier than thinking that you will have to eat right for a week, a month or a lifetime.
Weight loss in bodybuilding.
A lot of training programs “walk” on the network, the effectiveness of which tends to zero. Readers are offered static programs that help to lose a few pounds, after which the rate of progress decreases.
We will use dynamic programs based on the principle of load progression:
Weight loss in bodybuilding. Week #1
| The exercise | Approaches | repetitions | ||
| Chin-ups | 3 | 10 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 8 | 2 | 3 | |
| Bent over row | 3 | 12 | 2 | 3 |
| Standing barbell press | 3 | 8 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Hanging leg (knee) raise | 3 | 12 | 1,5 | 3 |
| plank | 3 | 30 seconds | 1 | 3 |
| jump rope | 3 | 1 minute | 1 | — |
| The exercise | Approaches | repetitions | Rest in minutes between sets | Rest in minutes after exercise |
| 3 | 15 | 2 | 4 | |
| Shoulder lunges | 3 | 10 | 2 | 3 |
| Lifting the bar for biceps while standing | 3 | 12 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 12 | 2 | 3 | |
| Hanging leg raise | 3 | 10 | 2 | 3 |
| plank | 3 | 30 seconds | 1 | 3 |
| A bike | 3 | 1 minute | 1 | — |
Weight loss in bodybuilding. Week #2
We increase the number of approaches and repetitions.
Slimming workout 1. Back, chest, shoulders, abs
| The exercise | Approaches | repetitions | Rest in minutes between sets | Rest in minutes after exercise |
| Chin-ups | 4 | 10 | 2 | 3 |
| Bench press lying on a horizontal bench | 4 | 8 | 2 | 3 |
| Bent over row | 4 | 12 | 2 | 3 |
| Standing barbell press | 4 | 8 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Hanging leg (knee) raise | 4 | 12 | 1,5 | 3 |
| plank | 4 | 30 seconds | 1 | 3 |
| jump rope | 4 | 1 minute | 1 | — |
Slimming workout 2. Legs, arms, abs
| The exercise | Approaches | repetitions | Rest in minutes between sets | Rest in minutes after exercise |
| Barbell Squats | 4 | 15 | 2 | 4 |
| Shoulder lunges | 4 | 10 | 2 | 3 |
| Lifting the bar for biceps while standing | 4 | 12 | 2 | 3 |
| Standing dumbbell extension | 4 | 12 | 2 | 3 |
| Hanging leg raise | 4 | 10 | 2 | 3 |
| plank | 4 | 30 seconds | 1 | 3 |
| A bike | 4 | 1 minute | 1 | — |
Weight Loss Workout 3. Aerobic Workout
Weight loss in bodybuilding. Week #3
We increase the number of repetitions.
Slimming workout 1. Back, chest, shoulders, abs
| The exercise | Approaches | repetitions | Rest in minutes between sets | Rest in minutes after exercise |
| Chin-ups | 4 | 12 | 2 | 3 |
| Bench press lying on a horizontal bench | 4 | 10 | 2 | 3 |
| Bent over row | 4 | 14 | 2 | 3 |
| Standing barbell press | 4 | 10 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Hanging leg (knee) raise | 4 | 14 | 1,5 | 3 |
| plank | 4 | 45 seconds | 1 | 3 |
| jump rope | 4 | 1.5 minutes | 1 | — |
Slimming workout 2. Legs, arms, abs
| The exercise | Approaches | repetitions | Rest in minutes between sets | Rest in minutes after exercise |
| Barbell Squats | 4 | 18 | 2 | 4 |
| Shoulder lunges | 4 | 12 | 2 | 3 |
| Lifting the bar for biceps while standing | 4 | 14 | 2 | 3 |
| Standing dumbbell extension | 4 | 14 | 2 | 3 |
| Hanging leg raise | 4 | 12 | 2 | 3 |
| plank | 4 | 45 seconds | 1 | 3 |
| A bike | 4 | 1.5 minutes | 1 | — |
Weight Loss Workout 3. Aerobic Workout
Weight loss in bodybuilding. Week #4
Reduce rest.
Slimming workout 1. Back, chest, shoulders, abs
| The exercise | Approaches | repetitions | Rest in minutes between sets | Rest in minutes after exercise |
| Chin-ups | 4 | 12 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Bench press lying on a horizontal bench | 4 | 10 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Bent over row | 4 | 14 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Standing barbell press | 4 | 10 | 1 | 3 |
| Hanging leg (knee) raise | 4 | 14 | 1 | 3 |
| plank | 4 | 45 seconds | 45 seconds | 3 |
| jump rope | 4 | 1.5 minutes | 45 seconds | — |
Slimming workout 2. Legs, arms, abs
| The exercise | Approaches | repetitions | Rest in minutes between sets | Rest in minutes after exercise |
| Barbell Squats | 4 | 18 | 1,5 | 4 |
| Shoulder lunges | 4 | 12 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Lifting the bar for biceps while standing | 4 | 14 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Standing dumbbell extension | 4 | 14 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Hanging leg raise | 4 | 12 | 1,5 | 3 |
| plank | 4 | 45 seconds | 45 seconds | 3 |
| A bike | 4 | 1.5 minutes | 45 seconds | — |
Weight Loss Workout 3. Aerobic Workout
Weight loss in bodybuilding. Week #5
Re-add approaches.
Slimming workout 1. Back, chest, shoulders, abs
| The exercise | Approaches | repetitions | Rest in minutes between sets | Rest in minutes after exercise |
| Chin-ups | 5 | 12 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Bench press lying on a horizontal bench | 5 | 10 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Bent over row | 5 | 14 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Standing barbell press | 5 | 10 | 1 | 3 |
| Hanging leg (knee) raise | 5 | 14 | 1 | 3 |
| plank | 5 | 45 seconds | 45 seconds | 3 |
| jump rope | 5 | 1.5 minutes | 45 seconds | — |
Slimming workout 2. Legs, arms, abs
| The exercise | Approaches | repetitions | Rest in minutes between sets | Rest in minutes after exercise |
| Barbell Squats | 5 | 18 | 1,5 | 4 |
| Shoulder lunges | 5 | 12 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Lifting the bar for biceps while standing | 5 | 14 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Standing dumbbell extension | 5 | 14 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Hanging leg raise | 5 | 12 | 1,5 | 3 |
| plank | 5 | 45 seconds | 45 seconds | 3 |
| A bike | 5 | 1.5 minutes | 45 seconds | — |
Weight Loss Workout 3. Aerobic Workout
Weight loss in bodybuilding. Week #6
Again, increase the number of repetitions.
Slimming workout 1. Back, chest, shoulders, abs
| The exercise | Approaches | repetitions | Rest in minutes between sets | Rest in minutes after exercise |
| Chin-ups | 5 | 14 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Bench press lying on a horizontal bench | 5 | 12 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Bent over row | 5 | 16 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Standing barbell press | 5 | 12 | 1 | 3 |
| Hanging leg (knee) raise | 5 | 16 | 1 | 3 |
| plank | 5 | 1 minute | 45 seconds | 3 |
| jump rope | 5 | 2 minutes | 45 seconds | — |
Slimming workout 2. Legs, arms, abs
| The exercise | Approaches | repetitions | Rest in minutes between sets | Rest in minutes after exercise |
| Barbell Squats | 5 | 20 | 1,5 | 4 |
| Shoulder lunges | 5 | 14 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Lifting the bar for biceps while standing | 5 | 16 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Standing dumbbell extension | 5 | 16 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Hanging leg raise | 5 | 14 | 1,5 | 3 |
| plank | 5 | 1 minute | 45 seconds | 3 |
| A bike | 5 | 2 minutes | 45 seconds | — |
Weight Loss Workout 3. Aerobic Workout
Weight loss in bodybuilding. Week #7
Once again we shorten the rest.
Slimming workout 1. Back, chest, shoulders, abs
| The exercise | Approaches | repetitions | Rest in minutes between sets | Rest in minutes after exercise |
| Chin-ups | 5 | 14 | 1,5 | 2 |
| Bench press lying on a horizontal bench | 5 | 12 | 1,5 | 2 |
| Bent over row | 5 | 16 | 1,5 | 2 |
| Standing barbell press | 5 | 12 | 1 | 2 |
| Hanging leg (knee) raise | 5 | 16 | 1 | 2 |
| plank | 5 | 1 minute | 45 seconds | 2 |
| jump rope | 5 | 2 minutes | 45 seconds | — |
Slimming workout 2. Legs, arms, abs
| The exercise | Approaches | repetitions | Rest in minutes between sets | Rest in minutes after exercise |
| Barbell Squats | 5 | 20 | 1,5 | 3 |
| Shoulder lunges | 5 | 14 | 1,5 | 2 |
| Lifting the bar for biceps while standing | 5 | 16 | 1,5 | 2 |
| Standing dumbbell extension | 5 | 16 | 1,5 | 2 |
| Hanging leg raise | 5 | 14 | 1,5 | 2 |
| plank | 5 | 1 minute | 45 seconds | 2 |
| A bike | 5 | 2 minutes | 45 seconds | — |
Weight Loss Workout 3. Aerobic Workout
For many athletes, losing weight is a top priority. To achieve the desired results, they are ready to make any sacrifices. Only now, not everyone succeeds in “drying” with high quality. The main reason is the many misconceptions that are firmly rooted in the minds of many people. Television and the Internet have their effect. Let's try to dispel the main myths about losing weight in bodybuilding and thin people.
Myth 1. If you want to lose weight - do not eat at night
This is a very common misconception. In fact, professional bodybuilders very often eat at night. But, of course, there are limitations. It is advisable to give up carbohydrates or fats (except when the athlete is gaining weight). In the "evening" diet, it is necessary to include as many protein products as possible - low-fat cottage cheese, proteins, kefir, and so on.
Myth 2. The perfect stomach can be obtained with the help of exercises for the press.
Scientists have calculated that in order to get rid of one kilogram of fat, it is necessary to do at least 3,500 torso lifts on an empty stomach. If you exercise with a full stomach, then the work is carried out by burning blood sugar, and not by unnecessary fat. It is believed that the strongest abs are in people who have been doing sumo all their lives. Only to see this because of the athlete's large belly is not possible.
Myth 3. Real weight is the reading of the scales, and the smaller they are, the better.
No matter how. Scales show the total weight of a person, but do not determine the percentage of body fat. Believe me, if a person has 90 kilograms, and only 10% body fat, then he will look much better than a person with 70 kilograms and 20% body fat. Of great importance is the weight of the bones - each person has his own.
Myth 4. Success can only be achieved by fasting.
There is an opinion that for fast weight loss it is necessary to give up food. This is another lie. You need to eat regularly, but in a balanced way. It is necessary to exclude fatty foods, flour products, sweets from your diet. The only thing that can be left is animal fats, which are needed for the active synthesis of adrenaline, testosterone and other beneficial hormones.
Myth 5. A person who is engaged in bodybuilding is always thin and in great shape.
Is it really? Keep in mind that in the photos in fashion magazines, you see athletes in their best shape. To achieve the result, bodybuilders are forced to prepare for more than one month. Training reaches its peak of activity somewhere 30-40 days before the start of the competition. As for another sport, for example, boxing, there is no need to talk about being in perfect shape all the time. The reason is simple - fights are held no more than twice a year. Only those athletes who pay attention to their form throughout the year, in particular, to hockey players and football players, have no problems with physical form. The latter can train all year round, so excess fat simply does not have time to accumulate.
Myth 6. The reason for the large amount of fat is the increased calorie content of foods.
The first thing a person does to lose weight is to reduce the calorie content of foods. But this does not always bring results. Why? Because the number of calories is not the only factor. There is also such an important concept as the speed of their assimilation (characterized by the glycemic index - GI). For example, flour and sweet foods are characterized by a very high GI, so a large amount of excess fat is deposited in the body. It also affects the increase in blood sugar, which leads to the release of insulin. The latter, in turn, does not allow fat to break down normally.
If the body does not receive the proper amount of calories, then it has to use its own glycogen stores, which it “pulls” from the liver and muscle fibers. Thus, if you eat a lot of sweets in the morning and don’t have dinner at all in the evening, you can lose useful mass and increase body fat.
Myth 7. Weight loss alone is not enough
Many beginners believe that weight loss is guaranteed by increasing the load and reducing the amount of food consumed. That is, the number of calories burned should be higher than incoming. In a way, this is true. Only many understand this phrase literally - they eat cakes, pastries, eat pizzas and hamburgers, but at the same time they spend 3-5 hours in the gym. So do not succeed. You need to eat right and devote more time to aerobics, which allows you to effectively "burn" excess fat. But here you need to do it on an empty stomach. Professionals know that after a workout it can be very useful to run a few kilometers.
A beautiful, aesthetic physique is created by proportions and a low fat content with sufficient lean muscle mass of the muscles. A "dry", traced body is much more effective than a fat scruff and a belly that "falls out" forward. Some may object: "relief" and mass are incompatible things. But no, that's not true. The bottom line is not to make annoying mistakes in nutrition. Which ones? Read below!..
Don't Eat Fat and You'll Never Get Fat
If a person receives more food calories from his daily menu than he "burns" in training, he will definitely grow fat. Even if the amount of fat in his diet is zero. The fact is that the rest of the macronutrients - carbohydrates and proteins - have a tragic ability for us. They are utilized by the body only to the extent of need, and all excess is converted into subcutaneous fat.
As for carbohydrates (potatoes, cereals, sweets, pasta and flour products), the commandment is to eat less of all this stuff, every person involved in physical education knows almost from the cradle. Not so with protein. Many people safely "load" themselves with protein in "bomb" doses, since it is believed that this is how you can stimulate the growth of lean muscle mass. Meanwhile, the body is able to absorb a maximum of about 30-40 grams of protein at a time. Excess protein is sure to lie under the skin in the form of fat deposits. The longer the "experience" of busting with protein, the "stronger" fat deposits, the more difficult it is to fight them.
If we return to fats, then they are good only in moderation. The general rule is this: the proportion of fat in your diet should not exceed 10-20 percent of the total daily calories. In this case, you will not only not swim in fat, but also keep your heart healthy.
Fats are bad
Only certain types of fats are harmful. But other fats are vital. For example, essential fatty acids, which are found in vegetable oil. The body is unable to produce them on its own. Meanwhile, it is these fats that are the "building material" for anabolic hormones, the same testosterone. In addition, without them, fat metabolism is disturbed, which in practice means a complete stop of the "melting" of subcutaneous fat under the influence of training. Here's the paradox for you: to burn fat, you need ... fats!
The best sources of healthy fats are flaxseed oil and omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish). Healthy fats play a critical role in maintaining a strong immune system. "Cutting" them out of the diet, you also deal a blow to your health! Do not reduce the proportion of fat in the diet below 10-15%. The growth of lean muscle mass and reduction of body fat determines the quality of your metabolism, which in turn is made up of the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Think, if you reduce fat metabolism, the overall balance of metabolism will decrease, which means that “mass” will suffer and fat will remain. Reduce your intake of animal fats, but be sure to take vegetable fats!
If you want to gain mass, eat carbs
In fact, muscles are built from protein. And carbohydrates are the fuel that provides energy for intense workouts aimed at increasing "mass".
How many carbs do you need? About 4-8 grams per kilogram of body weight daily. No more, but no less. This will be quite enough to provide the muscles with a high tone and a quick recovery.
I am an amateur, and therefore I do not need additional protein
This phrase can be heard mainly from those who go to the gym just to make the muscles more elastic and visible. Not like Arnold Schwarzenegger. It would seem that such people really do not need protein supplements. But this is only at first glance. In any case, the muscles should increase somewhat - grow in volume.
Well, muscle growth is fundamentally impossible if there is less than 1.8-2 grams of protein per kilogram of the athlete’s own weight per day. The problem is that the body urgently needs proteins for its own life - for example, hematopoiesis and hormone synthesis. "Lack" the body of food protein - and it will begin to devour your own muscle tissue, "husking" protein amino acids out of it. What an increase in lean muscle mass! Hence the conclusion: in any type of training, keep the protein in focus!
I eat three times a day and that's enough for me
Nothing like this! It is impossible to "cram" all the necessary nutrients in three meals. Get really elephant portions! But even if you manage to swallow them, two other problems arise. First, large portions are poorly absorbed. In fact, this means this. There is enough gastric juice, bile and digestive enzymes for some part of the food, but not for the rest.
As a result, the excess rots right in your intestines. Hence increased gas formation and symptoms of poisoning with food poisons: lethargy and weakness. And secondly, if you eat rarely and in large quantities, "extra" fats, carbohydrates and proteins will definitely "reward" you with solid body fat. Breakfast, lunch and dinner is a tradition based on the social way of life and "tailored" to the working day. But not all traditions are worth following. For health and optimal absorption of nutrients, it is much more beneficial to eat 5-6 times a day in small portions.
To lose weight and lose fat, you need to eat less
"Hunger" diets help to lose weight only for a while. At the same time, along with fat, you will inevitably lose muscle in a larger volume. In addition, when you lose calories, your body goes into saving mode. Well, this means slowing down all biological processes, including the "burning" of fat. Hence the typical effect of all "hungry" diets: first, the weight falls, but then it stabilizes tightly. In order to reliably progress in shedding subcutaneous layers, it is necessary to “connect” weight training and, most importantly, aerobics to the diet. They themselves "spur" the metabolism, which means they will not let the process of "burning" fat die out.
Overeat today, starve tomorrow - and everything is normal
Eating a weekly calorie intake at the festive table is, of course, a sin for an actively training person. But there is no point in “praying” for him tomorrow with hunger strikes. A low-calorie diet (even just a day long) will definitely slow down your metabolism, which means you will deprive yourself of the energy needed for a full-fledged training. So, if you allowed yourself a surplus, do not go to the other extreme. Just go back to your normal diet.
If you want to keep fit, skip breakfast
In the morning, the metabolic rate is highest, which means that the risk of body fat is minimal. During the day, the exchange gradually slows down, and by midnight it reaches its lowest point. So it turns out that the evening meal is the most "dangerous". Meanwhile, many people, out of fear of leaving the muscles for the whole night without nutritional material, deliberately gorge themselves right before bedtime. This is mistake! Such tactics will lead to obesity and nothing more. Given the low efficiency of digestion in the evening, you should not eat so much. As for breakfast, it is the most important meal of the day. In the morning, the body best absorbs carbohydrates (for replenishing glycogen stores) and protein (for building muscles).
Chicken meat is better than any other. A variety of proteins is not necessary!
No not like this. Beef tenderloin, back, and sirloin are almost as low in fat as skinless chicken breasts, but they are higher in iron and B vitamins.
So, if you heard somewhere that there is nothing better than chicken meat from natural sources of protein, do not immediately take it for granted. After all, maybe you are the exception to the rule. There is usually one type of protein for everyone, and it doesn't have to be chicken protein. Experiment with soy, whey, vegetable proteins. Persistently look for "your" products and don't fixate on chicken or canned tuna.
One way or another, you should know that any meat can easily be turned into "wrong" if fried in oil and poured over with fatty sauces. It is best to bake the meat on the grill or in the oven with lemon juice and herbal seasonings.
If you want to be slim - do not eat flour, potatoes and cereals!
It turns out that you should receive all carbohydrates only from fruits, vegetables and milk or special carbohydrate cocktails. But how much then will you have to eat and drink! If you limit yourself to feasible portions, then you simply will not have enough calories. Well, a lack of calories, as you know, leads to a general slowdown in metabolism and a decrease in blood sugar levels. A drop in sugar levels, in turn, provokes the breakdown of muscle tissue. So, you can’t refuse the so-called. starchy carbohydrates. Their best sources are potatoes, whole grain pasta, brown rice, and oatmeal. And don't forget - per day you should get 4-8 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight.
There is nothing better than juice
Indeed, there are a lot of vitamins in juices, but in addition there are quite a lot of "empty" calories. With a large glass of apple or grape juice, we "pour" into ourselves about 200 calories - the same amount contained in a couple of apples or one large potato. But it takes much longer to digest fruits and potatoes. Juice, on the contrary, is absorbed too quickly, which leads to a sharp rise in blood sugar levels.
This is usually followed by a massive release of the hormone insulin. In principle, it is responsible for the absorption of sugar by the muscles, but in addition, it “stores” carbohydrates for future use under the skin in the form of fat. It is clear that over time, if juices are abused, abnormally high secretion of insulin will necessarily lead to fat overgrowth. In addition, insulin provokes a strong appetite. And this ends with chronic overeating and the same body fat. After training, a bowl of rice, oatmeal, or, better, legumes (beans, peas, beans) is a good substitute for juice. Well, satisfy your thirst with ordinary water (any unsweetened liquid).
The diet does not require patience.
Many people change their eating habits too often. They grab one scheme, then another. They have a similar situation with food additives. They take one or the other. Meanwhile, no diet, no supplement shows its effect earlier than after 3 weeks. Only after 20-25 days can a confident conclusion be made about the futility of a diet or a sports product.
No - strict discipline in nutrition
At least an approximate calculation of the total caloric content of the diet, as well as precise control of the content of proteins, carbohydrates and fats in the diet, are mandatory for a training person. Based on this calculation, a promising nutrition plan is built, designed to increase the "mass" or reduce the fat layer. Without such a clear plan, when you (ideally, with the help of scales and a calorimeter) accurately calibrate the energy content of your menu daily, success is impossible. Counting calories, as well as macronutrients, is the only reliable guarantee against under- or overeating! More precisely, this is the only guarantee of growth of "mass" and reduction of fat!
It's not about the regularity of nutrition, but in its total amount.
Whatever goals you set for yourself - gaining "mass" or, conversely, losing weight, the key to success lies in the regularity of nutrition. It is necessary to take food, on average, after 2.5-3 hours in relatively small portions. Such a diet prevents fat deposits and enhances metabolism by improving the absorption of proteins and carbohydrates.
Large breaks in nutrition stimulate the secretion of insulin, which in turn stimulates the conversion of carbohydrates into subcutaneous fat.
The main indicator of success - scales
To gain "mass" or lose weight, people usually jump on food and supplements (or vice versa), expecting the scale to immediately show an increase (decrease) in weight. How disappointed they are when the scale needle deviates only a couple of divisions, otherwise it does not show anything at all.
However, the scale is a bad adviser when it comes to "mass" or "relief". Abundant nutrition may well lead to the growth of body fat, and not muscle at all, as well as insufficient nutrition - to the preservation of body fat. So, if you do not have the ability to accurately record the results, it is best to focus not on your own weight, but on your own appearance. Look at yourself in the mirror more often, and even better, regularly take pictures at the same scale. Only such a method of control is objective in assessing the diet.
Abnormal carbohydrate intake
Carbohydrates are the basis of nutrition for almost any person. They give energy to the muscles during the training period, as well as recovery processes on rest days. Anyone who undertakes to consume a lot of carbohydrates immediately notices an increase in intensity. However, carbohydrate intake should be strictly controlled. Carbohydrates should account for no more than 60% of the total energy intake of the diet. Everything that is eaten above this norm will inevitably turn into subcutaneous fat.
There is no need for your own opinion - everything has long been known.
Diets of professionals can confuse anyone - they are so different. Meanwhile, they all have a common feature - diets are strictly individual. Pros are not too lazy to keep a food diary and, over the years, select such products and their combinations that really affect them. So you do not eat everything in a row, experiment with diets in order to eventually find your own "kitchen". Let her be like nothing else. The main thing is that it is yours!
The main thing - nutritional supplements
Supplements will never replace nutrition itself, although their importance should not be underestimated. Some people spend money on carnitine to “cut” fat, but they do not gradually reduce the calorie content of their daily diet and do not do aerobics, which is the main thing if you are looking to improve your shape. Others eat bucketfuls of protein to put on weight, although their main diet borders on starvation. Such "jokes" are found at every step.
It must be remembered that supplements are designed to "sharpen" the effect of certain diets, but not to replace them!
If there are no results in weight gain, raise calories
When adding or reducing calories to your diet, do so in small increments of 300 calories, no more. The body is able to "digest" only such calorie supplements, and even then it takes a considerable time to "master" additional calories - up to 3 weeks. If you increase your calorie intake by a sharp jump of 600-1000 calories, then it will be a shock to your entire physiology, including the hormonal system. As a result, you will come to a paradoxical result - a drop in "mass" and an increase in body fat.
As scientists have established, a person's energy consumption during exercise is limited by oxygen consumption. Inhalation of one liter of oxygen is equivalent to “burning” 5 calories, however, an athlete is able to inhale no more than 3-4 liters of oxygen per minute at the highest rate of movement. This means that the average energy consumption per minute will be a little more than 15-20 calories.
The average bodybuilder typically trains at two-thirds of their maximum intensity. This means energy expenditure equal to 8-10 calories per minute. As a result, it turns out that for a classic half-hour workout, the athlete will “burn” a little more than 300-400 calories. And this despite the fact that "melting" 400 g of subcutaneous fat requires 3500 calories!
Fortunately, everything is not so hopeless. The fact is that the “burning” of calories does not stop with the end of the workout. The process seems to be gaining inertia, which persists for at least another 12 hours.
Moreover, the additional energy consumption during the recovery period is equal to half of the initial energy consumption! This means a solid minus in another 150-200 calories. Thus, the total energy consumption after 30 minutes of physical activity will already be 550-600 calories! This is the equivalent of adding another 15 minutes to your workout.
It must be remembered that fats are not the only source of energy for the body. Other such sources are dietary carbohydrates, liver glycogen, and protein molecules. Since each of them, including fats, releases energy at different rates, the body has to choose between them. So, training at high intensity is accompanied by the utilization of carbohydrates, but low intensity “turns on” fats. Thus, when you sit on a bicycle ergometer to lose weight, you need to pedal for a long time, but slowly. The faster you "ride", the further you find yourself from your goal - "burning" subcutaneous fat.
In the post-workout period, everything turns upside down. If you trained at low intensity, then your body does not even remember fat as an energy source for subsequent recovery. But if you trained super intensively, then the utilization of fats grows by more than 300%!
Intensive training has another advantage. It “launches” a very special mechanism in the body, the so-called. "useless" calorie burning. Thanks to him, excess calories are no longer deposited in the form of subcutaneous fat. Under the influence of adrenaline secretion enhanced by training, they turn into a physiologically "useless" type of energy - heat.
Intense training is the only known way to increase muscle "mass". And this is another advantage of such training for those who want to lose weight. The fact is that different tissues and organs of the body require different energy costs to maintain the necessary biochemical reactions in them. The most energy-intensive tissue is adipose tissue. It takes away from a person most of the energy he receives from the external environment (that's why overweight people are distinguished by slowness and slowness).
If you train intensively, then as muscle tissue grows, the palm in energy consumption passes to it. Moreover, the higher the muscle "mass", the more calories it needs, even at rest. With extreme muscle volume, muscle energy consumption increases so much that food calories simply do not have time to turn into subcutaneous fat.
Thus, anyone who expects to lose weight with the help of sports should clearly understand: it is in vain to hope for the “burning out” of subcutaneous fat with the help of a short period of shock physical activity. Success will be temporary. Anyone who wants to lose weight once and for all must make friends with sports firmly, so that with regular and hard training, turn his body into a calorie-grinding machine. You will have to "teach" your body to lose weight. Well, like any study, it is a long and difficult process.
1. For maximum energy expenditure, exercise for a long time. This strategy leads to an increase in muscle temperature and increased secretion of "stress" hormones. Together, this leads to increased "burning" of subcutaneous fat. Since fat utilization depends on oxygen consumption, exercise at a pace that allows for powerful and deep breathing. Be sure to supplement strength training with aerobic exercise for 25-30 minutes.
2. Strive for more muscle "mass". Energy consumption of muscles is directly proportional to their external area. The more muscle, the more energy the body needs, the fewer calories it stores in the form of subcutaneous fat.
3. Periodically practice two workouts a day. The first workout should be in the morning, and the second in the evening. Moreover, it should be carried out as close as possible to going to bed. The optimal time is 8-9 pm. Accordingly, you need to have dinner earlier than usual - at 6 pm. After training, eating is excluded. This method leads to an exceptionally high consumption of calories by the body during a night's sleep. The increased metabolic rate persists for 12-15 hours the next day. All this time you will be in a natural "weight loss" mode.
After six months of training, you will so increase the internal energy exchange that you can eat as much as you want. However, the initial period of training should be accompanied by a decrease in the caloric content of the diet.
