For those who do not know how many times a week you need to do fitness. How soon to expect results from visiting the gym How often you need to exercise for weight loss

In any case, the right approach is important. Having decided to go in for sports, you should stick to a certain program and not skip workouts. Often, many visitors to the gym cannot find the optimal number of classes per week. Someone does too little - 1-2 times and does not get the desired results, the other can walk every day and also not see significant changes in the figure. So how many times a week should you go to the gym?

In all types of physical activity, it is worth observing the principle of moderation. Here the expression "quieter you go - you will continue" is very relevant. A person exercising 3-4 times a week will achieve better results than someone who goes to fitness forays, skips workouts for months, and then tries to make up for lost time, and like an obsessive runs to the gym every day. Why should the second case be avoided?

Firstly, you can quickly run out of steam and lose all interest in classes in just a few weeks. Secondly, the muscles need, and doing 6-7 times a week, overtraining will inevitably occur and instead of a positive one, you can get a negative effect.

The optimal frequency of sports is 3-4 workouts per week, but these are very average figures, any program should be compiled individually. Consider these factors:

the level of physical fitness of a person
class load level
free time and desire
the purpose of the lessons

If you have not previously been involved in sports at all, then you should enter the training regimen gradually, starting with 2-3 workouts per week. Also, do not start frequent visits to the fitness club if you have had a long break in classes. Those who have a lot of experience and are not new to the sport can work out in the gym 4-5 times a week.

But even people with sufficient experience need to adjust their program depending on the load. You can practice only 3 times a week and completely exhaust yourself in training. In this situation, the body must be given a full long rest. And you can reduce the load by 20-30% and distribute them for 5-6 days.

With the third point, everything is simple, everyone adjusts the program to suit their capabilities. Not everyone has the time and desire to visit the gym 5-6 times a week, in which case training can be reduced to 2-3 times.

Last, but no less important in importance, is the purpose of the classes. And here it is worth dwelling in detail on the various types of training.

How much exercise do you need to lose weight

If you want to lose weight, then there are no special restrictions in classes. The main thing is to create an increased level of physical activity and observe the principle of moderate nutrition.

For example, you can do cardio at least every day - run, swim or walk on a treadmill. The optimal time is 30-40 minutes per workout.

However, not everyone likes running or walking. Then you can perform strength exercises with light weights at a fast pace. So you can save and tighten muscles, as well as start fat burning processes. The recommended number of weekly workouts is 4-6. And be sure to give yourself at least one day off.

How often to train to gain mass

A thin body with protruding bones, stick legs and twig arms looks ugly regardless of gender and age. In order to pump up muscles and get rid of this aesthetic problem, it is recommended to engage in heavy power mode, namely, try to lift weights close to the maximum for a small range of repetitions. This will help you. Muscles will be injured, so the body needs to arrange rest, during which the restoration and growth of muscle tissue occurs.

Engaging 5-6 times a week in this case is impractical, since the body will not recover until the next visit to the gym. Ideally, you should have at least a rest day after each hard workout, so 3-4 times is the optimal number of sessions for a seven-day cycle.

Working to keep in shape

Not everyone needs to lose weight or increase in volume, some just want to do it for their own pleasure to increase their tone and good mood. Do you have to follow strict rules to keep yourself in shape? Of course not! It is not necessary to carry out exhausting cardio workouts and work with heavy weights - you yourself set the load and determine the required amount of training. Listen to your body, it will tell you exactly what you need to do.

For regular workouts, it is best to visit a fitness club, but you can work out at home. Of course, it is unlikely that you will be able to achieve stunning results at home, but it is quite possible to keep yourself in good shape and even lose a couple of kilograms, if there is a desire and willpower. For more active exercises, you can purchase a neck, a small size range of dumbbells and you can successfully train even outside the gym.

All those who finally decided to go in for sports or just wanted to work on their figure before the spring season are overcome by the same questions: where is it better to exercise, how often and for how long, what to focus on? Useful tips from Denis Semenikhin - a recognized specialist in fitness and a healthy lifestyle.

The minimum amount of time you need for strength (anaerobic) training is two hours per week. Surprisingly, this is true - even such a short time spent effectively will allow you to see changes in your figure in a few months, speed up your metabolism, and improve your well-being.

These two hours a week should be divided into 3-4 workouts, preferably four - 30 minutes each.

The minimum amount of time you need to devote to cardio training is one hour per week. This time, spent properly, will keep your cardiovascular system in shape. This hour is best broken down into three workouts of 20 minutes each. Two of them should take place at a constant pulse level, and one should be interval.

Let me remind you that for both strength and cardio training this is only the minimum amount of time. If you are already in shape, then this time will be enough for you to just maintain it. Progress will require more time.

The maximum time I recommend for strength training is 5 hours per week. For cardio, the maximum time is 4 hours per week. But in total it makes no sense to spend more than 6 hours. There is no such goal in changing the physical form (we do not take professional sports) that could not be achieved by properly training 4 times a week for an hour and a half.

That is, if you want to focus on the development of the cardiovascular system, you can do four hours of cardio per week and two hours of strength. If you decide to focus on building muscles or correcting proportions by building certain muscles, then 4-5 hours a week will be more than enough for you. Spend the remaining 1-2 hours maintaining a cardio form.

You may ask why you need to work out several times a week instead of working out, say, once, but for a long time. Everything is quite simple: a person’s muscles have time to fully recover in 72 hours, after which muscle atrophy or degradation begins, that is, if a trained muscle is not used in the same mode, it begins to atrophy to the level at which it is used regularly. For example, a person walks every day, carries the weight of his body, the leg muscles receive a certain stable load. But if, due to a fracture, the leg ended up in a cast for two months, then there is no load, and inactive muscles will inevitably atrophy. That is why, after the removal of the cast, the muscles will be much smaller and rehabilitation exercises will be required to re-align the muscle mass of the right and left legs.

Now think about what your lifestyle has been like over the past few years. Are there any muscles in your body that require rehabilitation, as they have been inactive for a very long time, although they were not in a cast? To what extent did all the muscles that should be in shape receive at least a minimal load every 72 hours?

Exercise at home or in a fitness club

If we talk about classes in fitness clubs, then they have both pluses and minuses.

pros

A fitness club is, first of all, a sports spirit that unites those who work in it. The people around you have the same goals. You plunge into the atmosphere and make an energetic contribution to the common cause with your participation. This is not the case with home workouts. The absence of the necessary atmosphere at home is the main difficulty.
The club has all the necessary equipment. Of course, you can also put a small simulator at home, buy dumbbells, a ball and benches. But in the club there will always be more choice, and it will be more convenient to practice.
There is an exchange of information in the club. If something is not clear to you, it raises doubts, you can always discuss it, consult with the coaches. And if you yourself have already understood and tried a lot, then there will always be an opportunity to help someone, to support.
The club usually has a more prepared environment - ventilation, air conditioning, showers, steam rooms, locker rooms.

Minuses

You have to pay to join the club.
You need to get to the club, time is wasted on the road.
Not all clubs are located in environmentally friendly places. Every time I tried to choose clubs near parks or outside the city, but this is not always possible.
In the club you are surrounded by different people, some of them may be unpleasant, behave strangely, etc.

If you decide to study at home, then also think about the pros and cons. At home, of course, it is more convenient to train if you have the right equipment. You can even exercise a little twice a day - in the morning and in the evening, which will perfectly speed up the metabolism. But there are also important disadvantages. The main one is the lack of a working atmosphere, a sports atmosphere. At home, we are used to feeling more relaxed, resting. It is for this reason that for most people who decide to work out at home, the purchased equipment gathers dust in the corner or turns into an expensive clothes hanger.

If you are still confident in yourself and your discipline, then try to at least find like-minded people who are ready to work with you. By creating such a mini-club, you will be able, like climbers in a bunch, to support each other in difficult times, exchange information, and not allow each other to miss classes.

Differences between training men and women

From my many years of experience in fitness clubs and watching the success of thousands of different clients, I have become convinced that the reasons for success in training men and women do not have a significant difference. At the level of physiology, of course, there are a number of well-known differences, but this does not affect the principles that are applied in training. There are no fundamental differences between the male and female body either in the speed of muscle recovery, or in working capacity, or in the metabolic processes and laws governing them.

I will say more, in practice, I have repeatedly seen that women in fitness are often more disciplined. This results in great results. It is constancy and discipline that bear fruit in this matter.

However, we must remember that women should be more attentive than men to listen to their well-being and sometimes feel sorry for themselves. But this should not be an obstacle to progress. Study yourself.

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Fat burns slowly

Isolated exercises for a specific muscle group will not give the desired effect. To observe stable weight loss, you need to train for at least 40 minutes, giving the body aerobic exercise. At this time, at least 23% of the muscles of the total mass should be involved. If the whole body works during training, fat will be burned much faster. Loads should be light, but long.

The body's usual "fuel" is carbohydrates, and only when they are deficient does it begin to use fat reserves. To enhance the process of fat burning, you need to adjust the diet. Avoid high-calorie foods, especially a few hours before and after your workout.

Expert advice:

Losing weight by constantly overeating will not work. Eat 4-6 times a day, but the portions should be small. Choose the diet that's right for you.

Cardio after strength training

60% of the time allotted for training, give cardio loads. If you want to lose weight, do cardio after strength training. During resistance exercise, carbohydrates are mainly used. Therefore, when you move on to cardio, fat stores will be burned.

Watch the load during continuous movement. To get rid of extra pounds, you need to give all your best, but monitor your pulse - it should be within the fat burning zone (50-65% of the upper value). The calculations are simple: you need to subtract your age from 220 - this is the limit.

For weight loss, interval training is recommended: exercise for a minute in an intensive mode, and then for 1-2 minutes at a more relaxed pace. You can increase the time of intensive training and reduce the recovery pace.

Expert advice:

If you don't have time to go to the gym, do an express workout. Pick up a few multi-joint exercises and "run" them in a circle several times in a high-intensity mode.

Load all muscle groups

Include in your training program exercises that involve the maximum number of muscles. The higher the load, the stronger the blood circulates, respectively, the fat “melts” more actively.

Squats burn more calories than exercise on the mat, as they engage the muscles of the buttocks and thighs at the same time. Running is more effective than an exercise bike or walking - during training, the shoulder girdle works.

Always make sure your back is straight! A beautiful posture motivates you to draw in your stomach and spend an extra “minute of sports”.

Is stability always a sign of mastery?

If you always perform the same set of exercises, you can forget about a good result. Muscles get used to the monotonous load and stop responding to it. To return the "muscle response", you need to urgently take action.

First of all, it is important to regularly increase the load, increase the number of approaches. The body should not get used to the elements of the workout, otherwise calories will be burned very slowly. The trainer will help you choose the optimal load and write out a training plan.

Expert advice:

A series of fitness mistakes can kill the desire to exercise. Don't give up, even if you have to start over!

Should there be muscle pain?

After training, the muscles should be felt, but debilitating pain is an alarming symptom. If the muscles ache for more than two days, it is worth reducing the load. This indicates that they do not have time to recover, resulting in chronic fatigue, irritability, and the desire to train disappears.

To make progress, you need to give the body a rest, and then concentrate on restorative exercises.

Efforts will be most fruitful if you find your training program. Otherwise, in the classroom, you will simply lose time and not one iota get closer to your cherished goal.

Professionals advise to always keep your fitness goals in mind. Then you will quickly achieve the desired result and be proud of your slim and toned figure.

Expert advice:

Pay special attention to the technique of performing exercises - this is the key to a good result.

A mentor will help you get great results

Self-organization is, of course, good. But sometimes it takes a lot of motivation to achieve a goal. You can train with a friend and place a bet - demonstrate a certain result within a set time limit.

Share your intermediate successes, support each other. Encouraging comments are the best motivation.

Enjoy your workout!

If classes in the gym are accompanied by constant stress, the body begins to accumulate fat for a rainy day. Take a few days off and try to revise your schedule.

Reschedule your workouts or diversify your program. You may be pushing yourself too hard and your body is resisting the extra stress. The process of losing weight will be much more active if you enjoy exercising.

After the sauna, metabolic products are removed, muscle pain subsides, and excess fluid “evaporates” from the body. As a result, cellulite becomes less noticeable, body volumes decrease.

You can go to the sauna 2-3 times a day, the temperature should be up to 60 degrees. In this case, it is useful to drink herbal teas or mineral water.

Fitness is not a sport. This is a whole direction of health-improving gymnastics, which allows you to keep the body in good physical shape. Fashion for fitness came from America in the mid-80s. Performing simple exercises to music is much more fun than doing regular gymnastics. In addition, over 40 years, many varieties of fitness have appeared, from which everyone can choose the most suitable for themselves in terms of physical fitness and even temperament.

First of all, fitness is useful in that it trains the whole body. Whatever you do - aerobics, shaping, Pilates, yoga, Zumba - any kind of training contributes primarily to the overall improvement of the body. The benefits of fitness are obvious:

improvement of blood circulation, supply of cells with oxygen;
strengthening the spine, correcting incorrect posture;
stimulation of metabolic processes, fat burning;
improvement of skin condition, getting rid of cellulite;
active cleansing of the body from toxins and toxins;
removal of excess fluid, elimination of puffiness;
development of flexibility, improvement of coordination of movements;
increasing physical strength and endurance;
strengthening immunity, prevention of a number of diseases.

Regular exercise will not only allow you to say goodbye to extra pounds and make your figure slim and stretched, but also relieve insomnia, cheer up and improve the overall tone of the body.

An additional benefit of fitness for women is that regular exercise will help to significantly delay the onset of menopause, while maintaining the natural hormonal background of the body.

How to exercise to lose weight

Those who doubt whether fitness helps to lose weight should first try. But do not expect a fantastic result after the first workout. You can sum up the results no earlier than after a month of regular quality classes. In many ways, success also depends on how many times a week you practice.

If the training is very intense (step aerobics, crossfit, etc.), then 2-3 sessions per week will be enough. More relaxed types of fitness (yoga, Pilates, etc.) can be practiced even every other day.

The basic rules for fitness classes are simple, remembering and observing them will not be difficult, and the effectiveness of classes will increase several times:

The length of the workout is also important. There are no general recommendations on how much time to exercise. It all depends on the chosen type of fitness and the level of physical fitness of the body.

For beginners, a 30-40-minute workout is enough, and then you can increase its duration to 45-60 minutes. Do not exercise for more than an hour - this can lead to overwork of the body.

Starting to play sports, people pursue a specific goal: someone wants to lose extra pounds, others dream of having a beautiful and embossed body, and still others simply love active activities. Therefore, each person will have their own individual training program aimed at achieving the task. Results from classes will appear at different times.

For those people who want to lose weight, the main attention should be paid to cardio machines: a treadmill, ellipse, stepper and others. It is recommended to do 45-60 minutes. This time is necessary for burning excess calories and losing weight. The optimal number of workouts per week is 5. If you have free time, you can practice daily, in which case it is better to alternate the simulators so that you don’t get bored. As an option - 6 days a week to engage in any of the units of the cardio line and devote one more day to swimming in the pool. With strict attendance at classes and proper nutrition, the result from training can be seen in 2-3 weeks. Most likely, the weight will change slightly, but the volumes will decrease.

If a person does not suffer from excess weight, but simply wants to tighten the body, make the muscles more visible, strength training will help him. They are recommended to be carried out 2-3 times a week with a break of 24 hours. That's how much you need for muscle recovery. In one workout, you should work out a certain part of the body, you should not try to do everything at once. Nothing good will come of it. With the right approach to strength training, as well as a balanced diet, you can see the first result in 6-8 weeks. But it is worth noting the fact that muscles develop at different rates. So, the muscles of the hands will “grow” faster than, for example, the first press cubes appear.

It is also worth mentioning about those who want to lose weight and tone their muscles at the same time. For such people, the best training option is 2 strength classes and 2 cardio sets per week. They will be able to see the result in 4-6 weeks. But with the condition of proper nutrition and constant exercise.

By the way, no matter what goal a person pursues when visiting the gym, in order to see their result, it is recommended to weigh yourself once a week and take measurements of the abdomen, hips, chest, etc.

How to eat to speed up the process

Those who are struggling with excess weight need to switch to proper nutrition. Refusal of sweet, starchy, fatty, fast-foot and other junk food is a must. Before cardio, it is advisable not to eat for 2 hours. If the hunger is very strong, you should have a snack with something protein, without carbohydrates. For example, a small piece of meat, fish or a couple of tablespoons of cottage cheese. After training, you should refrain from eating for at least an hour.

People involved in strength training, on the contrary, an hour before class, you need to refresh yourself with complex carbohydrates. Any boiled porridge is an excellent option. And 20-60 minutes after the workout is over, you need to eat something protein. It can be either a protein shake or low-fat cottage cheese or boiled chicken breast.