Do you primarily want to burn calories with fitness training? Then don’t waste time training smaller muscle groups like calves and biceps in isolation. We tell you which four major muscle groups you should focus on for maximum gains.
You spend hours on the treadmill, but somehow the kilos don’t want to tumble? This may be because you’re not focusing on the four major muscle groups.
The big muscles make the difference
In order to lose weight, it is advantageous to include strength exercises in the workouts in addition to endurance training. This increases the basal metabolic rate, because muscles burn calories even when they are resting.
This means that the more muscles you have, the more calories your body uses throughout the day – regardless of whether you are moving or not.
Why is strength training so good for the body?
If you strengthen your muscles, you ensure a balanced and stable body. Among other things, this counteracts back pain from long periods of sitting. Your posture also becomes more upright and you generally feel more energetic and balanced.
We show which muscles you can easily train with which exercises at home and thus get a little closer to your dream weight.
1. Legs and bottom
Let’s start right away with the largest muscles in the body. Exercising legs and buttocks is very exhausting, but a good leg workout burns the most calories. Especially people who sit a lot in everyday life should train their lower body to compensate for the one-sided strain.
One of the best exercises for the lower body are
deep squats
. You train strength and flexibility and should be on the schedule at least once a week. In addition, you can
lunges
or
Glute Bridges (pelvic raises)
incorporate into the plan.
Tip:
Start with three sets of eight to ten repetitions each. With each workout, try to slowly increase the number of repetitions.
2. back
The back training not only burns a lot of calories, but also makes the waist look smaller and the posture more upright. Anyone who sits a lot and suffers from back pain also benefits from back training.
If you have a pull-up bar at home, give it a try
pull-ups
. If the exercise is still too difficult at the beginning, you can first concentrate on the eccentric movement by jumping to the top position and slowly lowering yourself down.
Another good exercise for your back is
bent over rows with a super band
. To do this, place one leg in the band, lean forward with your back straight and pull the band up toward your hips.
If you don’t have any equipment, you can
swimmer exercise
carry out. To do this, lie on your stomach, stretch your arms straight out in front of you and make short, powerful movements – just like crawling.
3. Midsection
A strong core provides stability for every movement you perform in everyday life and is therefore one of the most important parts of the body to train. A strong core protects the organs, improves breathing and strengthens the pelvic floor. With a strong core, you will also improve in the other exercises and can prevent injuries during sports.
There are many core exercises that add variety to your workout.
crunches
,
raise legs
and
planks
are some examples that you can use to strengthen the abdomen.
4. chest
As an opponent to the back, you should also train the chest muscles. Because we often round our backs when sitting, the chest narrows. Targeted training stretches the chest area and ensures a healthier posture.
The best exercise to strengthen the chest muscles are
pushups
. If the push-up position is too difficult for you, you can also do it on your knees.
