One fine day, while passing by a mirror with a plate of dumplings, you accidentally noticed that your stomach did not fit in the mirror. And for a moment you walked past the mirrored wardrobe.
And then the thought flashed through your mind that you were starting to become overweight. You resolutely began to search the Internet for information (but first finished the dumplings) about how to get rid of excess weight and came across this article.
I will make you happy, you are in good hands. Now I will tell you in detail how to quickly lose weight in the gym as a man, and what exercises to do so that your muscles stop hiding under a layer of fat.
How simple, how fast is it and what does the result depend on?
I’ll say right away: don’t expect instant results. It won’t happen that you come to the gym, hold a dumbbell for a couple of minutes and lose 15 kilograms, your biceps will become the size of a truck, and your abs will take on the shape of a washboard.
There are no miracles. If you, sparing no time and effort, ate up sides day after day , then you won’t get rid of them so easily.
To lose weight, you will have to exercise regularly, eat right, and understand that this may take months or even years.
In addition, if you think that by going to the gym and working there for a whole hour (of which you spent half an hour staring at girls doing squats), then you deserve to eat a piece of cake, pizza, a sandwich with mayonnaise, a bag of sweets, a box of cookies and wash it down It's all beer, then it's not.
If you want the result to be as fast as possible, then you will need to show your character and not give in to temptations . And you also need to understand that if you train only when Jupiter is in the Capricorn phase, then your sides will be with you through thick and thin until the end of your days.
In general, any manifestations of laziness or weakness will push you one step back.
And, of course, you need to take age into account. After all, it’s no secret that at the age of 18 you can throw tons of junk food into yourself, and then sit down a couple of times, do light push-ups and look once in the direction of the horizontal bar, and all your fat evaporates somewhere. With age, this body function becomes inaccessible and you see every pie deposited on your sides.
What should your training be like?
Now let's move on to the details. Your training should be such that even Spartan warriors would nervously smoke on the sidelines. But not at once.
If your whole life you haven’t held anything heavier than a sausage sandwich in your hands, then you need to start with light training so as not to get injured.
For a man to lose weight as quickly as possible in the gym, the most effective are basic exercises that work as many muscles as possible. Therefore, if you suddenly think that you can lift the barbell a couple of times and lose weight, then no.
Your workouts should also be intense. Low rest, high reps. When you have done a set and go to scroll through your Instagram feed, and then they tell you that the gym is closing, although you arrived at 9 am, then such training is not considered effective.
You will also need to gradually increase the weight so that your body does not get used to the load you receive and it has to adapt.
And to adapt, your body will build muscle. This is doubly nice because the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn not only in training, but also in everyday life. Well, you’ll just have more muscles, isn’t that cool?
And you will also have a choice of how exactly you will lose weight in the gym. You have several options: either you first completely get rid of fat, without particularly building muscles, or you lose weight more slowly, but at the same time you gain muscle.
The first option is achieved through maximum volume cardio training and a variety of circuit training in the gym. The second option is achieved by the fact that we predominantly do strength training in the gym and, in parallel with them, do cardio in medium volumes.
Personally , I almost always choose the second option , because in the long run it will be more effective. After all, as I already said, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn.
If, on top of everything else, you have a big belly, then this is no joke, urgently read my article on how to lose weight in the stomach and sides for a man.
What to pay attention to
Training according to the scheme involves a gradual increase in load. If the exercise is easy, you need to add more repetitions.
Heavy sports equipment is not used during back exercises and when pumping up the abs.
The breakdown of fat cells in the area of the body being worked is achieved through repeated bench presses with low weight. However, too many repetitions will lead to rapid fatigue.
Take your time, follow the execution rules
Standards for the volume of load are established for people experienced in sports. Beginners, especially at first, need adaptation. Correct execution of the exercise is more important than the number of repetitions done.
Overstraining the body at the very beginning of the journey can lead to sprains and injuries. A competent increase in sets and tempo should occur gradually.
Keep an eye on the technology
Correct execution of sports tasks is the main principle that allows you to achieve success. Under the guidance of a coach, it is much easier to achieve accuracy in execution.
When studying on your own, you can take advantage of the advice of a professional (in person, through video lessons).
Watching yourself in the mirror makes it easier to control the process. Practicing the technique can take from a week to several months.
Choose the right weights
In order to lose weight, you need to work with an average weight.
You can find the optimal weight as follows:
- choose a barbell or dumbbells;
- do 12-15 repetitions;
- track your well-being, note the possibility/impossibility of continuing training at the chosen pace.
With the right equipment, a person is able to complete the exercise to the end, without serious loss of strength. A little fatigue is a sure sign of the effectiveness of the workout. Rest between sets – no more than 40 seconds.
Too heavy a load and a small number of repetitions lead to the opposite - increasing mass.
Training program No. 1
To make it more clear to you, I will give an example of one of the weight loss programs in the gym for men. For a beginner, it will be enough to train three times a week .
The most standard type of weight loss program for three days, which I would recommend any beginner to start with, looks like this:
Day 1 - back and biceps
- Deadlift – 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
- Bent-over barbell rows – 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Horizontal block row – 3 sets of 12-16 reps.
- Vertical pull-down – 3 sets of 12-16 reps.
- Lifting the barbell for biceps – 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
Day 2 - Chest and Triceps
- Bench press – 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
- Incline dumbbell press – 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Push-ups – 3 sets of 12-20 times.
- French press – 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Bench press with a narrow grip – 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
Day 3 - Legs and Shoulders
- Squats with a barbell on the shoulders – 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
- Platform press – 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Stepping onto the platform - 3 sets of 8-12 times on each leg.
- Seated dumbbell press – 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Barbell row to the chin – 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Swing dumbbells to the side - 3 sets of 12-16 times.
This is a more powerful version of weight loss exercises for men in the gym. You can then make it more effective by using supersets or more dynamic exercises.
Now I will also give an example.
Bodymaster.ru recommends Training Plans:
All exercises in this workout are done in one superset (in a circuit format). Perform one set of each exercise without resting between sets. Then break for 1-2 minutes, and repeat the circle of exercises. You'll end up doing 3 sets of 20 reps.
During training, the heart rate must be increased (see Karvonen's formula) to trigger fat burning processes, but the weights used are insignificant to ensure comfortable repetition of movements.
Training program No. 2
Day 1 - back and biceps
- Deadlift – 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
- Pull-ups (can be done in a gravithorn) – 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
- Bent-over barbell rows – 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Horizontal block row – 3 sets of 12-16 reps.
- Vertical pull-down – 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Crossover pullover – 3 sets of 12-16 reps.
- Lifting the barbell for biceps – 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Lifting the barbell for biceps with a reverse grip – 3 sets of 12-16 times.
Day 2 - Chest and Triceps
- Bench press – 4 sets of 8-12 reps.
- Push-ups – 4 sets of 12-16 times.
- Incline dumbbell press – 4 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Reduction of arms in the simulator - 4 sets of 12-16 times.
- French press – 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Close-grip push-ups – 3 sets of 12-16 reps.
Day 3 - Legs and Shoulders
- Squats with a barbell on the shoulders – 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
- Lunges with dumbbells on the go - 3 sets of 8-12 times on each leg.
- Platform press – 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Stepping onto the platform - 3 sets of 8-12 times on each leg.
- Seated dumbbell press – 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Swing dumbbells to the side - 3 sets of 12-16 times.
- Bent-over dumbbell rows for the rear deltoid – 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
- Rear delt raises in the simulator - 3 sets of 12-16 times.
This program is for more advanced gym members who have already developed a wreath on their biceps.
Cardio: how, when and how much
And, of course, what kind of weight loss can we talk about if you don’t know what cardio is?
In order for your fat to go away slowly but surely, you will have to increase your physical activity .
You won't be able to sit on the couch for a day. It will be more accurate, but then it’s unlikely to lose weight.
And you won’t have to start running marathons, running as fast as you can, knowing neither pain nor fatigue until the moment your eyes close. It will be enough to add at least 30-60 minutes of monotonous cardio exercise.
You can ride a bike, jump rope, even just a quick walk in the nearest park will do. And if you are a cool guy and instead of a hanger at home you have a treadmill, orbitrek or exercise bike, then shake off the dust and use it for its intended purpose.
It is best to do cardio training in the morning on an empty stomach . But in the first stages it is undesirable to do this, because you may simply lose consciousness due to lack of energy somewhere in the middle of the street. Therefore, for starters, I advise you to do this after eating.
You can start with 30 minutes 3 times a week and gradually increase the number of workouts per week, their duration and intensity.
Features of cardio for girls
Cardio exercise in the gym is an important part of training for weight loss for girls and women. Depending on age and individual characteristics, 20 minutes on the elliptical is enough for some, while for others 40 minutes will seem unnoticeable.
If you have no problems with your heart or circulatory system, you can standardize the load and do cardio before training for 30–40 minutes and after – 15–20 minutes.
If you have heart problems, the trainer should give you a test load to understand the capabilities of your body. After this, individually select the load necessary to burn fat deposits.
For example, start by walking on a treadmill. Walk for 5 minutes at an average pace. Gradually increase the speed until you feel a heaviness in your chest. There is no need to speed up the track anymore. This is the first limit. Gradually it will need to be overcome.
A set of exercises designed for weight loss must include cardio. The program should begin and end with a similar load.
Don't forget about nutrition
And, of course, the most important thing is nutrition. If you train in the gym sparing no effort, but then eat like a hundred hungry truck drivers, then you will only see the results in your dreams.
First, you will need to limit sweets, flour and fried foods . I'm more than sure that all of these products are on your list of favorites, but if you are determined and want to conquer all the girls in the area with your muscular torso, and not your belly, which falls over your knee, then you will have to do it.
In addition, you will need to watch your calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. To lose weight, you will need to consume approximately 2 g of protein, 1 g of fat, 1-2 g of carbohydrates per kilogram of your body weight.
To use fat as energy , you need to create a calorie deficit. If you eat more calories than you burn, the fat will not go away.
Therefore, there are two options: either eat less or spend more.
I talked in detail about how to eat properly for a man to lose weight here.
Diet for weight loss
You can’t buy an ideal body without excess fat and with beautiful muscles in a store or through an online catalogue. You really have to work hard to create it. This work is akin to a mosaic; each of its elements is important. Only together they will give an amazing result - a toned body.
Losing extra calories is just math. The number of calories consumed daily should be less than those expended. Professional bodybuilders and fitness models carefully calculate this ratio and therefore can burn as much as they need.
Forecasts for the speed of weight loss in the gym
If you want to know how quickly you will achieve results, then you will not get the answer to this question.
Because it all depends on how hard you train, how healthy you eat and how you follow the regime.
In addition, everyone has different concepts of “result”; for some, minus 1 kg on the scales is also a result . You can see a small result even a week after training. And if you want to know when on public transport girls will hold on to your biceps rather than to the handrails, then I won’t give you a timeline. Perhaps this will take not months, but years of hard training.
Strength training for weight loss for women
It is somewhat more difficult for women to lose weight, this is explained by a number of characteristics of their bodies:
- A woman's body is naturally programmed to store energy in the form of fat, since after puberty the female body prepares for childbearing.
- In women, fat cells are larger and contain more enzymes responsible for the accumulation of fat.
- In the female body, the amount of muscle tissue is approximately 20-40% lower than in men, this significantly lengthens and complicates the process of losing weight. This happens because muscles expend much more energy than other body tissues.
- There are no male steroid hormones in the female body, therefore, during weight loss through intense training, women's muscles are not protected from destruction.
Taking into account all the features of the female body and, in particular, the nature of enzymes, the fair sex should engage exclusively in female training for weight loss. This will allow you to get exactly the results you want without burning any hard-earned muscle.
