What is better to choose for weight loss - fitness or gym?

Gym

Working out in the gym requires diligence, long and hard training. If you are new to this business, then at first it is better to study under the guidance of a trainer who:

1. Write an individual lesson program;
2. Will help you set up the technique for doing the exercises;
3. Provide detailed nutritional advice;
4. Provides reliable insurance during classes;
5. It will help to calculate the degree of imposed loads and determine physical capabilities.

As a rule, strength training is the final stage of weight loss. Regular training on exercise machines does not help you lose extra pounds, it only increases your muscle mass. This is what allows you to shape your figure, add elasticity, remove sagging skin, and get rid of the sides.

The gym is effective if you follow the basics of nutrition:

• It is necessary to exclude sweet, fried, flour products.
• Alcohol and carbonated drinks are a strict taboo for those who work out in the gym.
• It is preferable to eat foods that include protein, calcium and phosphorus. Protein is the main component of building materials for muscles, which is why professional athletes eat chicken breast, eggs, and cottage cheese every day.
• Maintain proper drinking habits. For every kilogram of weight you need to consume 30 ml of purified water.
• If strength training takes place every other day, then it is better to take protein, which is sold in the form of powder or special bars.
• It is recommended not to eat two hours before and after classes.

If you choose to work out at the gym, you should remember that your weight may increase slightly. There is no need to panic in advance, because volumes will decrease significantly. Excess fat will go away, muscles will increase, and it is due to this that you can add a couple of kilograms.

Be sure to read: How to walk up stairs correctly to lose weight?

Group training advantages and disadvantages

Many modern sports clubs conduct classes in groups of 15 to 30 participants. The training is conducted by professional instructors. Directions can be very diverse:

• Aerobics
• Dancing
• Cycle training
• Yoga
• Pilates

Advantages:

• Suitable for people with different levels of physical fitness. Therefore, even a beginner will feel comfortable practicing in a team. The gym, on the contrary, will require basic knowledge of fitness.
• The training is led by a professional instructor; he monitors the correct execution of the exercises, which eliminates possible injuries.
• During a group lesson, everyone is in a stable tone, and when working out on exercise machines, people are often distracted and involuntarily reduce the load.
• The ability to choose a variety of fitness programs, among which there will always be an optimal one that suits you.
• Even if a person already has some knowledge in the field of fitness, in a team he will be able to expand his horizons of knowledge and learn new techniques.

Receiving a charge of powerful motivation: looking at others, a person strives for self-improvement and gives his best.

A few words about the shortcomings:

• As a rule, most sports studios provide a limited range of group training programs. In addition, the choice of instructors is not always provided.
• The cost of such programs is significantly higher than the price of visiting the gym.
• You cannot set your own training schedule, since groups train at specific times on specific days. Therefore, participants must adapt to the appointed time.
• Additional inconvenience may arise due to the fact that there is a limit on the number of people who can study at the same time.

Team training is optimal even for an unprepared person. But some restrictions in directions and strict schedules can create inconvenience.

Fitness

What is fitness? These are simple activities that may include:

1. Cardio loads;
2. Easy charging;
3. Dancing;
4. Zumba;
5. Group classes that involve performing a set of exercises.

Cardio loads

Simple charging

Dancing

Zumba
As a rule, fitness helps in losing weight; calories are burned during exercise. To get rid of excess weight, experts recommend running and cycling in the morning. If you are experiencing a total lack of free time, then you can buy a treadmill, exercise bike, elliptical, or visit a gym where these machines are located.

Fitness is not only an assistant in losing weight, but also an interesting hobby.

If a woman is on a diet and exercises on weight machines are especially difficult for her, then dancing, football or other sports will be excellent fitness not only for the body, but also for the soul. Many holistic workouts include meditation, a full-body relaxation technique that helps replenish the lack of positive energy and add a boost of vitality to the body.

Many people choose swimming. During classes in the pool, all muscle groups are worked out, which ensures not only uniform weight loss, but also a tightening effect. Athletes also engage in fitness while “drying” the body, and also as a warm-up before starting strength training.

CLASSES AND ADDITIONAL SERVICES

The presence of a number of additional services and classes is also always welcome when choosing a hall. So, these can be various types of aerobics, dancing, strength training, yoga, etc. When choosing a class, you should be guided by the goals you have set for yourself, be it increasing strength indicators, mastering a skill, or simply reducing body weight. As a rule, this is where you can truly assess the level of competence of the trainer: does he monitor the correct execution of exercises by the students, does he advise them on the frequency and necessity of performing certain exercises, proper nutrition, etc.

Fitness and exercise equipment - pros and cons

What to choose, everyone decides for themselves, because everyone’s goals and objectives are different. We can only highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each category of physical activity to make your choice easier.

If you have never played sports, it is better to start with fitness. The main advantages are:

• Possibility of active weight loss;
• Variety of occupations;
• There is no need to count the consumed proteins, fats, carbohydrates;
• Strengthening body tone;
• Improving the general condition of the body.

Regular fitness classes improve coordination of movements and improve heart rate. If you give preference to dance sports, then not only your figure improves, but also your flexibility, the ability to maintain rhythm, and move to the music. Fitness increases muscle elasticity, allows you to achieve ideal figure proportions, get rid of the sides, “ears” in the hip area.

Be sure to read: A set of full body exercises for women with an elastic band for weight loss

Exercise machines, who chooses this type of load? First of all, strength training begins after the “drying” period, when weight loss has reached its maximum and all that remains is to add definition. Subsequently, regular exercise in the gym will help you stay fit and not gain weight.

Exercises on simulators should be performed under the guidance of a specialist. It is this type of physical activity that is considered dangerous, since if safety rules are ignored, the risk of muscle strain, ligament rupture, and sometimes even damage to the integrity of internal organs increases. The load should gradually increase, but this is determined solely by the coach.

It is important to allow your muscles to rest, which is why it is not recommended to go to the gym every day. The best thing is to alternate loads, combine fitness classes and exercises on simulators. Experts say that to achieve the best results, muscles must have time to recover.

Nutritionists and fitness instructors do not recommend resorting to strict diets if you additionally include sports activities in your schedule. Otherwise, the body may not be able to withstand such stress, which not only greatly tires, but also brings the body to exhaustion, consuming all its resources. It is important to choose the most balanced diet, which will be rich in all nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

Doctors prescribe a course of vitamins to all athletes to maintain health and ensure the natural functioning of the immune system. In pursuit of perfect forms, one should not forget that the body’s resources are not limitless. Try to eat only healthy foods; when cooking, try not to use vegetable oil, replace it with olive oil. Additionally, some women are advised to take fish oil, as it helps ensure the normal functioning of the reproductive system, since disruptions in its functioning become one of the most common negative consequences of sports.

How is sport different from fitness?

Most people who decide to engage in fitness do not fully understand the difference between it and sports, and this puts many off from doing physical exercise. The difference is that the goal of sports training is the result. And it doesn’t matter what it is expressed in - the next sports title, medal, record or anything else.

An athlete pursues a goal, putting health, career, family and many other valuable aspects of life on the line. For him, the meaning of life, and often an obsession, is achieving results. And the stronger the ambition, the less the athlete pays attention to the obstacles facing him. He endures everything patiently, moving forward like a tank and losing health. But such is the fate of athletes; they see their calling in victories.

Nature endows some people with a special talent, and thanks to diligence and willpower, they become heroes whom boys and girls who dream of becoming champions look up to. And only a few people who have connected their lives with sports are aware of all the pros and cons of their chosen profession. But they are ready for the joy of victories, and the pain of defeats, and even injuries.

What is fitness? What is his task? A fitness trainer is primarily guided by the rule “do no harm,” and then “improve” and “help.” The goal of fitness is to improve the five physical components of the body.

1. Muscular strength is the ability to overcome external resistance using muscular effort.
2. Muscular endurance is the ability of muscles to contract repeatedly.
3. Cardiorespiratory endurance is the body's ability to withstand prolonged physical activity. The cardiovascular and respiratory systems must be strong enough to supply the muscles with oxygen and remove waste products from the body.
4. Flexibility - the ability to perform exercises with the greatest possible amplitude.
5. Body composition is the ratio of lean and fat body mass.

The only thing that sports and fitness have in common is physical activity and training methods based on the principles of physiology and biomechanics. But, unlike sports, fitness is a physical activity that causes a powerful emotional uplift!

If in sports athletes, regardless of their mood, are required to complete a given volume of training (sometimes not the most varied and interesting, but necessary to improve certain parameters of muscle development depending on the specifics of the sport), then the task of fitness training is, first of all, to have fun! This may be due to the wide variety of areas in fitness - various training programs and techniques, as well as equipment.

There are several areas in fitness:

1. Power training.
2. Aerobic.
3. Psychophysical.
4. Aquatic.

Let's talk about each of them in more detail.

Reviews

On the Internet, users actively share their successes in sports and weight loss. For many, an important selection criterion is public opinion, which in 78 cases out of 100 becomes the determining factor. Let's see what Internet users write about fitness and exercise equipment, which is better for losing weight.

Be sure to read: Features of running in the mornings and evenings for weight loss

Lyudmila, 34 years old, Taganrog “Good afternoon! I want to talk a little about how I managed to quickly lose 23 kilograms. Since childhood, I suffered from excess weight, and after 30 years, ears began to appear on my hips, cellulite, and sides. I went on a strict diet and severely limited myself in my favorite treats. I started playing sports. In the morning I run for 50 minutes, in the evening I ride a bike in the park. Twice a week I attend group classes at a dance studio, each time we learn new dance routines, do stretching and sometimes pumping. I advise all girls to exercise, eat right and lead an active lifestyle.”

Alexandra, 21 years old, Moscow “At the age of 20, I became a bodybuilding champion. I devoted my whole life to sports, three years ago I decided to seriously take up strength training. Every other day I do deadlifts and squats with heavy weights. I start every workout with a warm-up on the treadmill, this is an integral part of my training. The final episode is stretching. Before competitions, drying always begins so that the muscles can be shown as much as possible on stage. To be honest, I don’t recommend exercises with heavy weights to those who don’t plan to do it professionally.”

Konstantin, 28 years old, fitness instructor “Hello, girls often ask the question of where to start losing weight, what sport to choose for themselves. The primary goal is to get rid of extra pounds, this can only be achieved if you add cardio exercise to your diet. Regular fitness will help you burn calories faster and burn fat. After reaching the desired mark on the scales, you can begin exercising in the gym using exercise machines. Of course, a preliminary consultation with a trainer is a mandatory rule for any fitness center.”