Weekly strength training plan for weight loss and fat burning

The easiest and fastest way to improve your appearance is to burn fat. If you want to look slimmer, spend calories by actively exercising. Weight loss workouts for men and women are radically different. A competent comprehensive approach should include a balanced diet, exercise programs from a professional trainer and rest.

Today, weight loss workouts for men and women are becoming increasingly popular, but with the same goal, these are completely different programs. The features of programs for boys and girls are dictated by the physiological differences in their bodies.

Also, in addition to the training itself for weight loss for men and women, it is important to know the basics of proper nutrition before and after training.

Strength training for weight loss for men

It should be remembered that all weight loss programs for men and women are significantly different. This occurs due to the physiological characteristics of organisms of both sexes. Differences between programs are caused by the following factors:

1. The male body stores fat more slowly than the female body and in smaller quantities; it burns it much faster. This happens because a man is by nature a breadwinner, his life is connected with hard physical labor, so fat should be easily converted into energy. However, this does not mean that the stronger sex can safely ignore the need to exercise to lose weight.
2. In the body of a man and a woman, on average, the number of fat cells is the same, however, they differ in size and the functioning of enzymes. In men, fat cells are smaller and contain significantly more fat-digesting enzymes.
3. A man with large muscle mass per day has a higher energy expenditure for basal metabolism (at rest) than a man with a weak body, and several orders of magnitude higher than a woman, which is also reflected in the men’s training program for weight loss.
4. Men constantly have a certain level of anabolic hormones in their blood, which is why their fat cells, when losing weight, respond better to energy activity, which means that a man loses weight to a greater extent due to the consumption of fat rather than muscle tissue.

If you're a man looking to lose weight, try this 3-day weight loss workout.

Yoga complex for weight loss

There is no right or wrong yoga. If classes have begun, it means that the beginner has already set foot on the path of self-discovery, and it doesn’t matter what it’s called. Asanas are effective only if they are performed correctly, so even for home exercises it would not hurt to take a professional training course.

Types of yoga for weight loss

Haṭha-yoga (Hatha) is the most popular direction in the European part of the world. Ideal for beginners who want to get acquainted with physical and spiritual practices. Most sports clubs teach Hatha.

Ashtanga Yoga is a set of asanas, exercises are performed in a fairly fast rhythm, synchronizing with breathing. Another name: Ashtanga Vinyasa.

Bikram Yoga (Hot yoga) – classes take place in a room heated to 38-41 degrees and high humidity.

Yin Yoga (Yin) – yogic “stretching”, a complex of long-term static asanas. Recommended for people with problem joints and for training flexibility.

Iyengar yoga (Iyengar) is a therapeutic direction of yoga. Classes are conducted with various devices: elastic bands, belts, pillows, to achieve body comfort when performing asanas. Suitable for beginners and for recovery from injuries.

Aero (Fly) Yoga – exercises in hammocks. For those who dreamed of learning to fly, but did not know that it was possible. Overcoming your fears, relaxing your neck and spine, and having fun is the main goal of the classes.

Power Yoga – for advanced. A modern sports trend in yoga that requires good physical fitness.

Exercises for weight loss

It’s better to start getting acquainted with asanas and lose weight with the simplest poses. These movements will help prepare your body for more intense exercise. They are effective for men and women:

1. Cobra (Bhujangasana). The asana helps strengthen the muscles of the neck and spine; in yoga it is a popular exercise for a flat stomach and thin waist. Lie down, place your palms on the floor at shoulder level and, as you inhale, lift your body and head up, arching at the lower back. Your hips should remain on the floor.
2. Boat (Navasana). An ideal exercise for the abdominal muscles and legs. Sit on the floor with a straight back, lean back a little and slowly raise your straight legs up, trying to maintain balance. Your arms should be extended parallel to the floor.
3. Plank (Kumbhakasana). Asana with benefits for mind and body. Helps get rid of neck pain, strengthen the buttocks and sides, and burn more calories. 2 minutes in the plank is equal to 20 minutes on the treadmill. Take a lying position, as if you were doing a push-up, and hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds, depending on how you feel. If it’s hard, you can lean on your elbows and knees.

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:

1. A woman's body is naturally programmed to store energy in the form of fat, since after puberty the female body prepares for childbearing.
2. In women, fat cells are larger and contain more enzymes responsible for the accumulation of fat.
3. 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.
4. 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.

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.

Program for gaining muscle mass

Strength training with weights is used to build muscle. A typical set includes the most important basic elements with a barbell and dumbbells, which are performed at the beginning of the workout, as well as additional isolation ones to improve the result.

Start your weight training session with a joint warm-up and stretching to prepare your muscles and ligaments for intense stress. This is especially important to consider when creating a training program for beginner girls. 3-4 approaches are set, with a break of 1.5-2 minutes between them. Increasing muscle mass requires 6-12 repetitions in each approach, with no more than 1-2 minutes of rest between exercises.

To further increase strength endurance, the CrossFit circuit principle is used. The program is divided into 3-4 circles with a certain set of exercises, which are performed extremely quickly, with short rest stops only between circles. Three such classes per week with a break for recovery are enough.

You can only build muscle with a properly balanced diet. The diet should be high-calorie with a predominance of complex carbohydrates and proteins (at the rate of at least 2 g per kilogram of the girl’s body weight), the BZHU ratio is 30/20/50%.

Adding cardio to strength training to burn fat

Some people go to the gym to tone up a specific part of their body, such as their abs. Such visitors come to the gym and perform several sets of crunches every day, but do not see any progress. Why?

It is important to know that there is no such thing as localized fat burning. If a person wants to reduce their waist size, several sets of crunches will not help.

For such a result, the fat content in the body must be quite low (for women 14-20%, for men 8-13%), and this can only be done by including cardio exercises in the program on the days between strength training. Aerobic training with elements of interval training is best.

A set of the best strength training at home

The training program should be aimed at harmoniously working out the whole body. Therefore, strength training at home for women should include exercises for various muscle groups. We present short complexes for each of them.

Hands

The following exercises can be used for the arms:

• Dumbbell row to the chin . You need to take the shells and hold them inward with your palms in the hip area. Then they are extended to the chin by bending the elbows. Do it ten times.
• French press . Hold one or 2 dumbbells in both hands. Pull your arms up until your body becomes a straight line with the dumbbell as your maximum point. Bring it back by bending your elbows. The number of repetitions is the same.
• Curling arms with weight . Stand up straight, straighten your shoulders and raise your head slightly. Pull your arms forward with dumbbells, then bend and straighten your elbows. Number of repetitions – up to 10.

Shoulders

The following shoulder exercises will help you work this area and create attractive lines:

• Seated dumbbell press. Sit on a bench with support, bend your elbows, lower your shoulders slightly. The dumbbells are pressed up and the arms are fully extended. At the same time, the elbows do not move forward, but are directed to the sides. Do 10-12 times.

• Arnold press. Dumbbells are picked up with palms facing you. The limbs are bent at the elbow joints, the shoulders are pressed to the body without spreading the elbows. The dumbbells are pressed up and the wrists are rotated with the elbows near the chin. Then the projectiles are lowered and reverse rotation is done with the wrists. The number of executions is the same.

• Alternate ascents . Take dumbbells in your hands and slightly bend them at the elbows. Stand up with your hands with the apparatus on the front of your thighs. Raise your limbs through the sides, then lower them, then raise your arms in front of you and lower them. Raise the dumbbells until your shoulders are parallel to the floor. You need to repeat the same amount.

Back

These exercises are for the back:

• One-way inclined pull . You need to take a dumbbell in one hand, place a similar knee on a support, and rest your other limb against its edge. Lower your arm with the weight down and lift it with your elbow out to the side. Change hands. Do a couple of sets of 10-15 times for each of them.
• Dumbbell rows to the waist . Stand up straight, take dumbbells and bend your knees slightly. Bend your upper body until there is tension in your back and hips. The dumbbells should be pulled vertically towards your stomach. Lock the position and go as low as possible. Perform three sets of 10-12 reps.
• Dumbbell flyes . Sit on a surface with your feet together and dumbbells in your hands. Bend over, lowering your arms. With your elbows slightly bent, turn the dumbbells towards each other. Then spread them horizontally, bringing your shoulder blades together. The same actions are performed from a standing position. Perform several approaches 10 times.

Breast

The following chest exercises will help you achieve a beautiful neckline and prevent loss of shape:

• Push ups . The best exercise for tightening the pectoral muscles. The emphasis is on the toes and palms, then the upper body is lowered down to the maximum bending of the arms. It is recommended to do push-ups in three sets of 10-12 times.
• Palm clenching . Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, palms together and vertical. Inhale and hold your breath for a while. When the chest is filled with air, make rhythmic contractions of the chest muscles, resting your palms against each other. Do several approaches of 10 seconds each. Over time, it is recommended to increase the duration.
• Emphasis on the wall . To perform this you will need a place with doorways. Take the starting position, resting your limbs slightly bent at the elbows on the sides of the wall or doorway and apply pressure on them with your hands for several minutes. Then bend over and press again for another 1-3 minutes. To begin with, three repetitions will be enough.

Stomach

Exercises for the abs and waist promote abdominal relief, help you gain those treasured abs and improve skin tone:

• Oblique twists . Abdominal crunches have many variations. To perform the exercise, you need to lie on your back, bend your knees, and place your feet on the floor. The left ankle should be placed on the right knee, hands behind the head. The lower back is pressed to the floor, the shoulder blades are raised, then the upper body is twisted diagonally towards the left knee. It is recommended to do at least 10 repetitions and 2-3 sets.
• Reverse crunches . This exercise targets the lower abdomen more. You need to lie on your back and pull your knees so that they bend at a right angle. Now, due to the press, the hips rise and the knee joints are pulled towards the shoulders. The number of repetitions is the same.
• Swing your legs . You need to lie on your back, place your hands under your buttocks. Raise one leg 45 cm from the floor. Then alternate legs, making quick movements so that one is up and the other is down. At the same time, they should remain straight and not fall completely. It is recommended to repeat “to failure” - stop only when you feel that you physically cannot make a single swing.

Legs and butt

Finally, here are some effective exercises for the legs and buttocks:

• Gluteal bridge . You need to lie face up, spread and bend your lower limbs at the knees. Place your hands on the floor directly under your shoulders, fingers extended as far as possible. Tightening the muscles of your buttocks and legs, lift your hips until they are parallel to the floor. Hold for a few seconds, then slowly lower your hips to the ground. It is recommended to do three sets of 10-15 repetitions.
• Stepping . You need to stand in front of a step, chair or bench. The left leg needs to be placed on a hill and rise up. You need to push off with your heel and gluteal muscles. The left leg remains straight, then you need to smoothly lower yourself, throwing your hip back and bending your left knee. The same is done with the second leg. Repeat the exercise as much as you can.
• Bulgarian lunges . You need to place your left foot on a low bench and step back. At the same time, you need to stay close to the bench without stretching your legs. The back is straight. The hips are pulled back and the right knee is bent and lowered into a lunge. You need to straighten your right leg, straining your buttock on the same side. The same is done for the second leg. Perform several approaches 10-15 times.

Cardio training - maintenance

Interval training
Treadmill training

• 45 seconds of fast walking, then 2 minutes of walking at an average speed. Do 5 sets, but gradually try to increase them to 7.
• Body part: Quadriceps Equipment: Exercise

Treadmill workout

• 4-5 minutes of slow walking.
• Body part: Quadriceps Equipment: Exercise

Treadmill workout

• 25 minutes of walking at an average speed. Gradually increase the time to 30 minutes.
• Body part: Quadriceps Equipment: Exercise

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Let's consider the issues of menu planning.

Day 6: Cardio and/or stretching

Day six of our training plan will depend on your goals.

• If you have an asthenic physique without a fat layer and there is no goal of losing weight, then cardio training is not necessary.
• If the fat layer is small, then it is enough to do cardio once a week for 30-40 minutes.
• If you are overweight, we recommend doing cardio 2 times a week. On Saturday, as suggested in our plan, plus you can additionally add another cardio workout mid-week (for example, on the fourth day - a day of core training).

It is important to emphasize that cardio exercise is necessary not only from the point of view of losing weight, but also from the point of view of training the heart muscle. It is not necessary to perform an intense jumping load; it is enough to choose moderate cardio without jumping. Instead of doing cardio at home, you can practice regular walking outside at a medium or fast pace.

Cardio workout selections:

• Cardio workout without jumps and planks (for beginners and intermediate levels)
• Cardio workout without jumping (for beginners and intermediate levels)
• Intense Cardio Workout (Intermediate)
• Intense Cardio Training (Advanced)
• Intense Cardio Training (Advanced)
• Tabata workout 6 rounds (moderate difficulty)

After cardio, stretch your entire body for 20-30 minutes. Also, stretching can be postponed to Sunday or performed on any day during the week.

Full body stretch:

• Post-workout stretching: 30 exercises + 2 ready-made plans
• Universal stretching for the whole body: 30 exercises + ready-made plan
• Top 20 back stretching exercises (for people with a sedentary lifestyle)

Basic rules for strength training

1. To perform strength training at home, you will need dumbbells. It is advisable to have a set of dumbbells of different weights or collapsible dumbbells. For small muscle groups (triceps, biceps, shoulders) you need lighter dumbbell weights, for larger muscle groups (chest, back, legs) you need heavier weights. [How to choose the right dumbbells]
2. If you want to tone your muscles a little and tighten your body, then use a light weight of dumbbells (2-5 kg). In this case, for starters, you can purchase two pairs of dumbbells: for example, 2-2.5 kg and 5 kg.
3. If you want to seriously work on your relief or build muscle mass, then you need to take more dumbbell weights (5-20 kg). In this case, to begin with, you can purchase collapsible dumbbells for 10 kg and then continue to buy additional weight as your strength increases.
4. When working with light dumbbells, you can perform exercises for a larger number of repetitions (15-20 repetitions). In this case, work is being done on light muscle tone, body strengthening and fat burning. If you want to work hard on muscle definition, then perform a small number of repetitions with heavy weights (10-12 repetitions).
5. Perform each exercise in 4-5 approaches (you can do 3 approaches if you want to shorten the duration of the training). Rest 30-60 seconds between sets. Rest 2-3 minutes between exercises.
6. If you want to do strength training for muscle tone and fat burning, you can train in interval mode using a timer. For example, perform an exercise with a 40-second work/20-second rest pattern. Check out our selection of workout timer apps.
7. The effectiveness of training on your legs and buttocks can be increased if you use a fitness band in addition to dumbbells.
8. Always warm up before your workout and stretch after your workout. This will not only reduce the likelihood of injury, but also improve the quality of your training.

See also our training plan for beginners without equipment:

• Mon: Lower body workout (hips and buttocks)
• VT: Interval training for body tone and weight loss
• CP: Low Impact Cardio Workout
• CT: Upper Body Workout
• PT: Circuit training for problem areas

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.

7000 kcal equals one kilogram. This means that if a person spends 1000 kcal more daily than he consumes, then the weight loss per week will be one kilogram.

Proper nutrition for quick weight loss, reasonable rest and recovery, sports supplements, strong motivation and focus on results, quality sleep - there are no trifles in achieving your goal. We study specifically what proper nutrition should be for weight loss.

Eat more vegetables; in the first half of the day you can treat yourself to fruits. Eat often, but in small portions.

How to create a nutrition menu and diet for weight loss will help:

• The best diets for weight loss, the best diet
• Protein diet for weight loss, menu for a week, 7, 10 and 14 days with menu
• A healthy and nutritious diet for weight loss
• How to learn to correctly count calories in food and products

Sports supplements

On training days, your muscles need nutrient support, so drink a protein shake 30 minutes before training, or after working out in the gym. A general set of additives may look like this:

Protein isolate	It features a deep degree of purification from impurities. Contains less lactose and fat, but more pure protein. Taking isolate is recommended for those who want to lose weight.
Pre-workout complex	Increases productivity during sports, strength, endurance, recovery speed between approaches.
Vitamin-mineral complex	During intense physical activity, vitamins and minerals are consumed by the body faster. They are also responsible for protein synthesis and are the engine of metabolic processes.
BCAAs	Allows muscle fibers to recover faster and provides building material for the growth of lean muscle mass.
Fat burner	Created to reduce excess fat deposits. Accelerates the breakdown of fat molecules and converts fat into free energy, increasing its consumption.