How to lose weight is one of the most frequently asked questions. And the answer is not complicated at all—fitness and a weight-loss diet. We usually manage the eating part of losing weight. That’s the easier task. But when it comes to working out at the gym—well?!
Today, there are fitness centers in every city and almost every neighborhood. Membership prices are becoming more affordable, and realistically, there’s no reason to miss out on this invaluable investment in your health. An investment called health. But there’s one factor that can sometimes really get in our way—and that factor is time!
The time we have in big cities is seriously limited, and sometimes, no matter how much we want to go to the gym—alas! We put it off until the evening, but feel exhausted at the end of the workday, or get caught in traffic. We put it off until the morning, but we never seem to get enough sleep, so we keep putting it off, and off, and off again! Then one day we see how the gym time we kept postponing has turned into extra fat around our stomach and bottom, along with sagging muscles. And that’s just at first glance. Excess fat and loose muscles usually go hand in hand with a slower metabolism (everything you eat seems to stick), a lack of interest in sex, a bad mood, faster joint wear, and many more unpleasant things. And all of this affects both our work and our lives! Oh no!
Time is precious, just like health. If we can’t find time for the gym before or after a workout, then let’s head to the gym during our lunch break.
In most companies in Bulgaria, the lunch break is about an hour. That’s more than enough time for a gym workout. Of course, the key is having a large fitness center near your workplace.
How to Lose Weight with Just an Hour of Training!
Even less than an hour is enough for a quality workout during your lunch break. To do it, though, you need to plan ahead. Here’s how:
FIRST: EAT—BUT NOT JUST ANYTHING—BEFORE YOUR WORKOUT
Eat a meal rich mainly in protein at work, about an hour before your workout, so the food can be digested and fuel your training. Eating protein-rich foods helps protect your muscles from breaking down and actively supports fat loss.
Eating at work, though, isn’t always easy. It’s not always convenient to take out a container of chicken breast, beef meatballs or fish, a vegetable salad, rice cakes, and so on.
That’s where a protein shake comes to the rescue. Drink a serving of protein powder that you’ve already mixed with cold milk, juice or water. It takes seconds to drink and won’t interrupt your work. Easy, right? J
SECOND: HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT WITH EXERCISES IN AN HOUR
And here we are at the gym, ready for a workout of about an hour. The first question that usually starts to bother us is: what exercises should we do to lose weight? There are so many exercises today to answer the question “How do we lose weight?”—and admit it, they’re confusing, aren’t they? Especially when we’re pressed for time. If we have enough time for the gym, we can do lots of weight-loss exercises and attend group classes like Kangoo Jumps, Yoga, Spinning, TapOut, Body Pump, Zumba, Muay Thai, Power Jump, Pilates and other aerobic programs.
But when we have only about an hour to work out, there are no better exercises than the basic ones.
Basic exercises are the foundation we need to build a beautiful, healthy body. These—and only these—exercises are the best answer to the question: how can we lose weight in an hour at the gym? A workout based on basic exercises also burns many more calories per unit of time than an aerobic group class. Basic exercises engage other muscle groups too, which help with the movement, so a single exercise can effectively work several muscle groups.
Sample Three-Day Weight-Loss Program
- VIDEO
Day 1: (Thighs and glutes)
- Exercise: Wide-stance squat: 8 working sets of 18 reps.
The wide-stance squat is the top exercise for building the most coveted backside in the world—a “Brazilian butt.” This exercise will lift and shape your glutes, and of course, you’ll need to replace the clothes in your wardrobe with more figure-hugging, low-rise jeans, more revealing swimsuits for the beach, and… that’s just the beginning. Wow, right?
The muscle groups that work hardest during this exercise are the thighs and glutes. You’ll also feel your long back muscles working, as they bear much of the load.
Notes:
1. Adopt an S-shaped posture: look forward and slightly upward, push your chest as far forward as possible, and push your glutes as far back as possible. Maintain this posture throughout every set. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Inhale during the easiest part of the exercise (as you squat down) and exhale during the hardest part (as you stand up).
3. Perform the exercise at a normal, smooth pace—not too fast or too slow.
4. Use a weightlifting belt;
5. See the video at the end of the article for more details on how to perform the exercise.
Day 2: (Chest, shoulders, triceps and abs)
- Exercise 1: Barbell or dumbbell bench press: 8 working sets of 18 reps.
The barbell or dumbbell bench press is the next basic exercise. It primarily works the chest, along with the shoulders and triceps. If you’re unsure whether to use a barbell or dumbbells, choose whichever suits your ability. The barbell version is much more convenient because the weight is fixed, unlike dumbbells. But if the bar’s starting weight (20 kilograms) is too heavy for you, choose dumbbells instead.
The muscle groups that work hardest during this exercise are the chest, followed by the shoulders and triceps.
Notes:
1. Lie on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor (don’t put your feet on the bench or move your body during the set to reduce the risk of injury) and grip the bar with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width;
2. Inhale during the easiest part of the exercise (as you lower the bar) and exhale during the hardest part (as you push the bar up);
3. Perform the exercise at a normal, smooth pace—not too fast or too slow.
4. Lower the bar to your collarbones, keeping your shoulders in line with your elbows;
5. See the video at the end of the article for more details on how to perform the exercise.
- Exercise 2: Combined crunches: 8 working sets of 25 reps (or to failure).
Combined crunches are the easiest ab exercise, engaging the lower, upper and side abdominal muscles.
Notes:
1. Sit on a flat bench;
2. Inhale during the easiest part of the exercise (as you extend your body) and exhale during the hardest part (as you curl your body);
3. If the exercise is too easy for you, hold a small weight or dumbbell between your feet, choosing a weight that lets you complete about 25 reps.
4. See more details on how to perform the exercise in the video at the end of the post.
Day 3: (Back)
- Exercise 1: Wide-grip seated cable row: 8 working sets of 18 reps.
The wide-grip seated cable row is a “cousin” of one of the oldest basic back exercises in fitness—the standing barbell row. The cable version is much more comfortable and much safer to perform.
The muscle groups most actively involved in this exercise are the back, followed by the biceps.
Notes:
1. Find a cable machine with a horizontal bench, sit on the bench, and assume an S-shaped posture (chest pushed forward and hips back);
2. Inhale during the easiest part of the exercise (when lowering the weight) and exhale during the hardest part (when pulling the weight in);
3. Pull the weight toward your lower abdomen;
4. Keep your arms relaxed and focus on your back—that is, bring your shoulder blades together and spread them apart. (Imagine you have hooks instead of hands and row using only your shoulder blades);
5. Perform the exercise at a normal pace (smoothly)—neither quickly nor very slowly.
6. See more details on how to perform the exercise in the video at the end of the post.
- Exercise 2: Back extensions: 8 working sets of 10 reps.
Back extensions are an exercise that comes very close to the “queen of back exercises”—the deadlift. The deadlift is a great exercise that actively works the erector spinae, but it is quite difficult to perform. That’s why back extensions are a suitable alternative and substitute.
Notes:
1. Find the back extension machine (hyperextension bench) and assume an S-shaped posture (chest pushed forward and hips back);
2. Inhale during the easiest part of the exercise (when lowering your upper body) and exhale during the hardest part (when straightening up);
3. Perform the exercise at a normal, smooth pace—not too fast or too slow.
4. Add an appropriate working weight if the specified number of repetitions is too easy to perform;
5. See the video at the end of the article for more details on how to perform the exercise.
Warning: Don’t forget to warm up with 5 minutes of light jogging on the treadmill, using the elliptical trainer or stationary bike. Then also do a warm-up for your whole body. Time your 1-minute rest between sets with a stopwatch. Train every other day (i.e., train one day, rest the next, then train, and so on). This training program is for beginners (if you’re a complete beginner, do half the working sets) and intermediate users who have limited time to train.