Slimming Fitness

For the result to be as effective as possible, you need a good positive attitude and time for training. Fitness equipment is very diverse, but we will use dumbbells weighing up to 4 kilograms and a rubber band for strength exercises. After all, this is the most common and budgetary equipment for home fitness.

Rubber band or expander – which is better?

If choosing dumbbells for fitness is not difficult – beginners can push off from 2,5 kg or buy typesetting dumbbells for strength training that can be disassembled to the same weight, then with the purchase of a tape or expander, things are more complicated (calorizer). The principle of operation of all rubber bands and tubular shock absorbers is the same – stretching, which creates resistance, which allows skeletal muscles to be worked out.

The main types of stretch shock absorbers for training the whole body:

1. Latex tape is the simplest, most compact and cheapest option. It practically does not take up space – you can take it with you on a trip so as not to miss workouts. There are many exercises with tape for the muscles of the legs, back, shoulder girdle and arms. But it has its drawbacks – the lack of handles (it is inconvenient to hold it in your hands) and low strength (in comparison with other resistance bands it breaks more often).
2. Harness expander (1 harness) – you can use it in the same way as a tape. Differs in the presence of handles, thanks to which it is comfortable to hold.
3. Harness expander (2 or more harnesses) – suitable for the same exercises as the previous options, but has more harnesses – creates stronger resistance. Detachable harnesses allow you to adjust resistance for individual muscles. For example, the muscles in the arms are small and weaker than the muscles in the back. Accordingly, in exercises on the back, there should be stronger resistance than on the arms.

In addition to these options, there are other narrowly targeted types of expanders – short tubular eights, chest spring, wrist. If you are just starting your training path, you do not need them yet. Better to choose universal equipment.

Shock absorbers vary in stiffness, material and price. The more famous the name of the manufacturer, the higher the strength of the material and the higher the convenience in use, the more expensive the projectile. The advantages of such equipment are obvious – they do not take up much storage space, they allow using a large dictionary of exercises, and are convenient for transportation.

Making an expander with your own hands is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. Moreover, sports stores sell rubber bands for an expander of different hardness, which are much cheaper than a finished shell. Handles for it can also be purchased separately or made from belt straps for bags.

Basic exercises for weight loss with dumbbells and expander

1 exercise – squats (the muscles of the thighs and buttocks work):

lift the dumbbells to shoulder level. Put your feet shoulder-width apart, feet out. Bending your knees, take your pelvis back and down. As you climb, straighten your legs and squat again. A similar exercise can be performed with a shock absorber as shown in the picture. Repeat 8-10 times.

Exercise 2 – pull to the belt (back muscles work):

Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Take the dumbbells in your hands, bend forward, keeping your back straight and natural deflection in the lower back. Pull the dumbbells to the belt, pulling your elbows back, trying to connect the shoulder blades. A similar exercise can be done with a shock absorber. We take the ends of the rubber band in our hands, and step in the middle with our feet, bend forward and pull the rubber to the stomach, bringing the shoulder blades together and pulling the elbows back. Repeat 8-10 times.

Exercise 3 – bringing the hands together (chest muscles work):

with a shock absorber, you can bring your hands together, but for this you have to hook it onto a stable support. Your arms should be slightly bent at the elbows. Imagine that you are hugging a large tree and, as you exhale, bring them in front of you at chest level. Repeat the exercise 8-10 times. A similar exercise can be done with dumbbells while lying on a fitball or on the floor.

Exercise 4 – press up (the muscles of the shoulder girdle work):

to perform the exercise, you need to stand on the shock absorber, placing your feet shoulder-width apart, raise the handle to chest level and push up. You will feel the muscles in your shoulders tighten. Do 8-10 reps, first for one arm and then for the other arm.

Exercise 5 – forward strikes (the muscles of the arms, press, chest work):

Place the tape on your shoulder blades. Keep your right hand in one position, and perform percussion elements with your left. It is allowed to perform strikes with the entire body turning. Change your hand and repeat this exercise 10 more times. The same exercise can be done with dumbbells. Plus, forward kicks train your heart muscle. It is not for nothing that this movement is constantly used by Gillian Michaels in her video programs.

What is the best way to train?

To increase the intensity and burn more calories, do your workout in a circular pattern – do the exercises one after the other in sequence without rest. As you have done all five exercises, rest for 1,5 minutes and repeat them in the same sequence 3-4 more times. You can use both a shock absorber and dumbbells in the same workout, since muscles have different strengths.

The average workout time is 45 minutes. We do a warm-up for 15 minutes: you can perform various inclines with increasing the main pace. After warming up, proceed to the main part of the workout (calorizator). At the end of the workout, we devote 10 minutes to a hitch and reduce the pace to a minimum, because it is not recommended to end the workout abruptly.

Fitness in most cases brings only one pleasure, because the loads are small, and the result is positive. Most importantly, remember that a deficit of incoming calories and proper nutrition are important for losing weight. They are the ones who make the result of training visible.