Exercise equipment for home - the best options for losing weight

Everyone knows that 80% of success in losing weight comes from nutrition and a calorie deficit. By changing your usual diet, giving up harmful, fatty and high-carbohydrate foods, you can get rid of 3-4 kg per month without harm to your health. But if you want to achieve results as soon as possible or time is limited (for example, you need to get in shape for a wedding, corporate event or first date), but you do not intend to risk your health, then you should add sports to your life.

Many people who are losing weight refuse to go to the gym not only because they are very busy and lack of time, but also because of internal fear. Few of us know from the first visit to the gym which exercise machine to use, how to set it up and what level of load to put on. And that's okay.

Some of the exercise equipment in the gym is designed for gaining muscle mass, and some is for losing weight and strengthening the heart muscle, developing endurance. So that the thought of visiting the gym no longer causes anxiety and is associated only with pleasant emotions, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with the most effective weight loss machines that you can use without the help of a trainer.

Of course, the leaders of the list will be a variety of cardio equipment, since they provide active fat burning and help keep fit. During exercise, it is important to monitor your well-being and monitor your heart rate - it should not exceed 60% of the maximum state or be more than 140-180 beats per minute. Neglecting this rule is fraught with unnecessary stress on the cardiovascular system and can lead to health problems.

Treadmill

This is an extremely popular and easy to use trainer. To use it, you do not need special physical training, since you can start training with simple walking, gradually adapting the load to your needs. It is worth noting that in the simulator you can adjust not only the speed, but also the angle of inclination, which allows you to increase calorie consumption and shift the load towards the gluteal muscles.

The treadmill is effective both for losing weight and maintaining it at the desired level. On average, 60 minutes of intense exercise on a treadmill burns 500 kcal.

You should not immediately start your workout with running; spend 5-10 minutes walking at a medium-fast pace at a speed of about 5-7 km/h. After the body adapts to the load for 10-20 minutes, go running. Here the speed will largely depend on the initial level of physical fitness and health status. On average it is 9-12 km/h, beginners can stop at 7-8 km/h, depending on their heart rate and well-being. Finish your workout by walking at a calm pace for 5-10 minutes.

Do not forget to follow safety precautions and regularly monitor the speed on the scoreboard, since a fairly large percentage of injuries in the gym are associated with the treadmill.

Training program

Option #1

Warm up 10 minutes. Swing your arms, legs, rotate your body.

• 20 minutes on an exercise bike.
• Barbell curl (seated). 5 sets of 15 reps.
• Bench press on a horizontal bench. 7 sets of 20 reps.
• Between approaches there is a pause of 30 seconds. Select the weight for the barbell individually.
• Half an hour on an exercise bike.

Cool down for 10 minutes. Take a deep breath, gently raise your arms up, and as you exhale, lower your arms down. You can stretch those muscles that were actively working.

Option No. 2

Warm up (as in option No. 1).

• Rowing machine - 30 minutes.
• From a lying position, raise your legs behind your head. Legs slightly bent at the knees. 4 sets of 15 reps.
• From a lying position, raise your torso to your feet. Legs are slightly bent at the knees. 3 sets of 20 reps.
• Rowing machine - 20 minutes.

Cool down, as in option No. 1.

Option #3

Warm up, as in option No. 1.

• Treadmill - 20 minutes.
• Exercises for the back and shoulders. Rows behind the head on a block (wide grip), bench press from behind the head (wide grip). Select the optimal weight. Do 7 sets of 17 reps. Pause 30 seconds between sets.
• Treadmill 15 minutes.

Cool down (as in option No. 1).

Exercise bike

This is another variation of cardio exercise. The exercise machine is aimed at developing and strengthening leg muscles and allows you to effectively burn calories. Of course, you won’t be able to pump up beautiful, sculpted muscles on an exercise bike, but after 2-3 weeks of regular training, you can notice how the inner thighs, calf muscles and buttocks have tightened up, which, together with getting rid of excess weight, makes the exercise bike one of the best choices for developing a beautiful body. and a slender body.

You should start training at a speed of 14-15 km/h, after which you can smoothly move to an average load level of 17-20 km/h for half an hour. For the first lessons this may be enough. Over time, the body will get used to it and it will be possible to increase the speed to 22-24 km/h or more. Some simulators have built-in training modes that allow you to select the cycling of the load and select the optimal speed, do not neglect them. Alternating the pace will help increase the effectiveness of the lesson and prevent overwork.

An hour of exercise on an exercise bike helps burn 550-600 kcal, but you should not try to squeeze the maximum out of yourself from the first session. A workout lasting 30-40 minutes will also bring the desired effect and at the same time prevent the development of overtraining.

Push-up supports

At first glance, they seem like a useless gadget, because you can simply do push-ups on the floor. However, they speed up the effect of training.

Pros of use:

• Increase the load during push-ups.
• Helps pump up the chest muscles, triceps and abs.
• Withstands loads up to 120 kg.
• They take up little space and are easy to store.
• Do not scratch pores and do not slip when used.

Disadvantages of use:

• Not universal.
• Not sold everywhere.

Ellipsoid

Unlike previous exercise machines, the advantage of the ellipsoid is that it uses all the muscles of the body, giving an even load on both the upper and lower parts. In addition, it is almost impossible to get injured or sprained on it, so the ellipsoid is quite a candidate for the role of a simulator with which you should start getting acquainted with the gym.

Typically, the elliptical has ten possible load levels built into it, with 1 being the lightest and 10 being the heaviest. For the first workout, you should not choose a high level, stop at 3 or 4. If after 10 minutes you feel active and alert, you do not have shortness of breath or feel tired, you can increase the load to level 5-7 and train in this mode for another 5- 15 minutes, after which you need to gradually reduce the load for 10 minutes until the end of the workout. If the load is poorly tolerated, you should not increase it even more or continue to exercise despite feeling unwell. For beginners, it is absolutely normal that the first workout lasts 10-15 minutes, since the cardiovascular system needs time to get used to and reconfigure. Over time, you can easily withstand 40-60 minutes or more.

Determining the optimal load on an elliptical trainer is easy. If you can maintain it for 20-40 minutes, while your heart rate is between 130-140 beats per minute, and you move quickly, then the load is appropriate for your level of training and helps burn fat.

An hour of exercise on an ellipsoid allows you to burn 700-800 kcal, provided that the exercise is performed intensively at the same pace without slowing down or stopping.

Stepper

The stepper differs from the ellipsoid in its simpler design and the absence of the possibility of reverse motion. It is often purchased for home use as an alternative to its more expensive and larger “big brother”. Stepper exercises are effective for losing weight, developing endurance and maintaining overall tone.

You should start training with 10-15 minutes at a comfortable pace, gradually increasing the training time to an hour. It is useful to alternate your pace, speeding up and slowing down every 10-15 minutes. During the first weeks of training, you should place your entire foot on the stand while doing the exercise, which will ensure maximum stability and protect you from falling. Over time, to increase the dynamics of the exercise and speed up fat burning, you can change the execution technique. Place your weight on the platform with just the front of your foot, without touching your heels.

An hour-long high-intensity workout on a stepper will burn up to 600-700 kcal.

Rowing machine

In addition to its ability to reduce weight, the rowing machine provides a significant load on the muscles of the back, shoulder girdle and arms, which is suitable for those who, in addition to losing weight, want to increase the volume of these areas or correct their posture. In addition, according to various sources, during the exercise, up to 80% of all skeletal muscles are used, which ensures its complex effect on the body.

It is worth considering that if you have pathologies of the back, joints or hypertension, exercise on a rowing machine is contraindicated, as it can contribute to the progression of the existing disease.

Beginners should exercise on the simulator for no more than 10-15 minutes; over time, the duration of the lesson can be gradually increased to an hour. Be sure to do a short warm-up before starting a workout to warm up the main muscle groups and prepare them for the load.

An hour of exercise on a rowing machine burns 600-800 kcal, which significantly exceeds the effect of regular running or exercise on an exercise bike.

Tubular expander

It is not widely used, but it comes in very handy if you need to pump up the muscles of the upper body, but don’t want to go to the gym.

Pros of use:

• Helps remove sagging arm muscles, tightens the muscles of the back, abs and chest.
• Improves posture and strengthens the spine.
• Helps make workouts challenging for the upper body muscles.
• Takes up little space, lightweight.

Disadvantages of use:

• Not everyone likes to train with expanders.

Vibration platform

The vibration platform is still a rare item in gyms, but every year more and more fitness centers are turning their attention to this machine due to its practicality and versatility. The vibration platform allows you to perform a wide range of exercises for various muscle groups and speed up the process of losing weight. The thing is that the simulator has a vibration frequency of 60 Hertz, which causes the muscles of the whole body to contract intensively and expend more energy.

Due to this feature, 15-20 minutes spent on a vibration platform can replace a full workout, and its minimal impact on the cardiovascular system allows the machine to be used by people for whom running is contraindicated for health reasons.

Jump rope

Price: with counter from 200 rubles, with weighting from 500 rubles.

Accelerated calorie burning, stronger bones, brain training (due to the need to concentrate and maintain coordination), a variety of sports activities, strengthening muscles and a sense of balance - and this is not all the benefits of a small jump rope. And if your relative or friend lives on the ground floor or in his own house - there is no price at all! =)

How often should you exercise to lose weight?

Regular exercise is an important component of successful weight loss. Unlike strength training, cardio training can be done daily without causing harm to your health. However, if you are just starting to get acquainted with sports, try to train no more than 3-4 times a week until your body adapts to the new level of stress.

The optimal training duration is 40-60 minutes. Please note that fat burning will begin 15-20 minutes after the start of the session, when the body’s energy supply is exhausted and it begins to use subcutaneous fat and glycogen as its source. For this reason, workouts shorter than 30 minutes will be ineffective and will not lead to the desired result. You should also not spend more than an hour in the gym - this is fraught with the development of problems with the cardiovascular system,

If the goal of visiting the gym is not only to lose weight, but also to gain muscle mass, then it is worth combining cardio exercise with strength exercises during one workout. It is better to put cardio at the beginning and end of the workout, and strength training in the middle.

To increase the effectiveness of weight loss and prevent the development of health problems, consultation with a nutritionist, fitness trainer, or even a doctor if health problems are the cause of excess weight. The fact is that the training program that is effective for you will differ from the program of another person, and sometimes these differences can be significant. When drawing up a program, a trainer or consultant will take into account your body type, metabolic rate, diet, and professional activity.

Weights for arms and legs

This fitness equipment is often underrated, although it can really help those trying to break through a weight plateau or take their strength training to the next level.

Pros of use:

• They help to complicate strength training and provide additional stress during aerobic training.
• Variety of weights, you can choose for yourself or add weight as needed.
• Easy to store, do not take up much space.
• They are inexpensive and can be found in any sports store.
• They help athletes prepare for competitions, since when they are removed, exercises become easier.
• They allow you to work on problem areas and focus on pumping individual muscles.

Disadvantages of use:

• If selected incorrectly, they can lead to overtraining and even sports injuries.
• The fabric that holds the weights can tear and also needs constant cleaning as it absorbs sweat that flows down the body.
• If fastened incorrectly or tightly, they may leave marks on the body.