Squats for weight loss of the abdomen and sides, legs, hips. Program for women. Photos, results

Squats are one of the most basic and effective strength exercises, based on perseverance and self-confidence. Women most often perform squats to lose weight on the abdomen and sides, men - to generally strengthen the muscles of the back, hips and abdomen.

The essence and basic principles of squats for weight loss

Squats are included in all the basic physical training programs that every person encounters in one way or another - gymnastics in sports clubs in childhood, morning exercises, training in the fitness room.

The correct squat technique allows you to tighten the muscles of the buttocks, abdominals, back and legs, at the same time, the metabolism is accelerated, calories are spent, and the blood is saturated with oxygen due to the increase in heart rate.

Squats for weight loss of the abdomen and sides to achieve maximum effect must be performed in accordance with the compiled program, which should include regular exercises with a variety of exercise complexes.

Trainers recommend doing exercises in several approaches with an interval of 3 to 5 minutes, starting with 15-20 squats and gradually increasing their number. In order not to harm your health, you should not immediately start with 90 times. The best option is to increase the number of squats by 5 times a day, but if the exercises do not feel difficult, the figure can be increased.

As a result of each approach, tension should be felt in the legs, buttocks, and all the muscles involved. When severe pain appears, attention should be paid to the technique of performing the exercises and the volume of the load - perhaps an illiterate program is taking place.

Basic principles of correct squats:

1. In the initial position, the legs are placed straight, the heels are pressed to the floor, the arms can be bent at the elbows, lowered onto the hips or extended forward. The head should not be lowered, but the gaze rushes forward.
2. When lowering, the hips should be parallel to the floor, as if they were sitting on an invisible chair. The angle between the lower leg and the thigh should be right.
3. The squat is performed slowly, the weight of your own body and the work of each muscle should be felt. It is necessary to linger for 2-4 seconds and also gradually rise. The back during the exercise should be flat and straight, the knees should not diverge in different directions, and the heels should be pressed to the floor all the time.
4. Breathing while squatting should be consistent with movement - this principle works with any physical activity. When lowering, inhale, while rising, exhale. Deep, measured breathing will help calm your heart.

Indications for weight loss squats

As a result of years of observation and scientific research, the medical community has come to the conclusion that performing squats, including as a preventive measure, it will be useful:

1. In case of heart diseases (ischemia, arrhythmia) - because during physiotherapy exercises the heart muscle is trained.However, given the severity of the disease, squats should not be performed without medical supervision.
2. With arthrosis of the knee joint, rehabilitation after a knee injury - due to improved blood supply to the muscles of the thigh, nutrition of the knee joint is improved, and internal tissues are restored. Squats for this disease should also be done under the supervision of a specialist.
3. For the prevention of fatigue, pain in the legs, varicose veins - since the speed of blood flow in the circulation from the heart to the legs increases, the elasticity of blood vessels increases.

Contraindications to doing weight loss squats

Doing squats affects many body systems. Therefore, in the event of a malfunction of any of these systems, you should limit the load from this type of exercise or even completely abandon them, since there is a risk of further aggravating the situation.

Squats are prohibited in the following cases:

• the presence of injury, fracture;
• inflammation of the muscles;
• for diseases of the joints, in particular of the knee, and the musculoskeletal system;
• back pain, spinal injury, scoliosis, or other spinal deformities;
• increased intracranial pressure;
• hernia.

The limitation on deep squats or intense loads applies to:

• pregnant women;
• people with exacerbation of any disease, at elevated body temperature;
• persons overweight over 30 kg;
• with menstruation, menopause;
• with insufficient flexibility.

If there are any doubts about the harmlessness of doing squats, you should consult with a therapist or with a narrow-profile specialist when he is registered.

Helpful hints

The most competent and accurate advice on performing any exercise can be given by a qualified trainer or doctor, since they consider each person (patient) individually and help to choose the most suitable and effective options for squats and other exercises.

If possible, it is preferable to start playing sports under the guidance of a coach who will help in drawing up an individual training program, control the correctness of the technique and correct mistakes.

Before starting a lesson, you should take care of the equipment. Clothing should be comfortable and not restrict movement. It is best to opt for natural fabrics that allow the skin to breathe.

The choice of footwear is also strategically important, as the position of the entire upper torso depends on the sole and the comfort of the foot. Instead of sneakers, it is better to wear sports sneakers designed for running and other physical activity.

In the absence of contraindications and if possible, weights can be used. The extra weight in the form of dumbbells, barbells, or regular water bottles will put more strain on your back and legs, but keep in mind the sense of proportion.

Recently, a popular trend is the use of special gadgets that keep track of lost calories, the number of heart beats. These devices will help control overall well-being, but their absence will not in any way affect the effectiveness of training, so you can exercise without additional financial costs.

In order to directly prepare the body for intense and energy-intensive movements, it is necessary to do a warm-up. Bending, turning the torso, head, swinging the arms, rotating the knees, running in place, holding a few seconds in a shallow squat will help increase blood circulation in the limbs, warm up muscles and prevent possible injury.

Classes at home should be started only after studying the theoretical squatting technique, watching video lessons and training in front of a mirror. In order to develop the correct technique, you can practice squatting on a chair, but without touching its surface.

At the stage of preparation for classes, you should decide in advance on the training program.Ready-made tables that indicate specific days of the month, the number of approaches and the nature of the exercises that must be performed in them can be found on the Internet.

If you feel overstrained during the program, you can reduce the number of squats. It is also necessary to provide for several days free from classes.

The table shows an example of a monthly program:

You can gradually decrease the rest intervals to 1-2 minutes, and increase the number of squats. The best option is to do more squats in the first approach than in the second, and decrease this number with each approach. It is worth remembering that the most important thing is not the number of squats, but the quality, i.e. the correctness of their implementation.

In total, the lesson should last about half an hour. In order to make the workout more positive and energetic, it is recommended to turn on rhythmic music, which will not only provide moral support during intense training, but also allow you to focus on breathing.

Don't miss the most popular column article: Morning exercises for those over 40, 50. Gymnastics exercises for weight loss, video tutorials.

The main set of exercises

There are different types of squats, differing in the complexity of the execution and the specific part of the body that accounts for most of the load. To tone the whole body, you should combine different types of squats.

Classic

Starting position - standing, legs at shoulder level, arms bent at the elbows in front of you, gaze is directed straight, stomach is drawn in. It is necessary to slowly start squatting, pulling the tailbone back, the knees do not go beyond the line of the toes, and the heels - to come off the ground, stay in the lower position for 2-4 seconds and straighten. The workout should start with 15-20 repetitions of 3 sets.

The emphasis in this exercise is on the hips, on the buttocks, and calories are also burned. Beginners should start with them.

Plie

Squats for losing weight on the abdomen and sides, as well as for working out the inner thighs, must be performed as follows - in this embodiment, the legs must be spread wider, the feet look to the sides. The squat is performed to the lowest possible position, when the angle between the thigh and lower leg is right. Hands are located on the belt, you can bend them at the elbows or fold them at the back of the head.

Curtsy

The initial position is with one leg crossed in front of the other. Hands can be lowered or left on the belt. When squatting, the body moves backward, the legs are bent at right angles, and the heels are lifted off the ground. The main body weight falls on the front leg. It is necessary to freeze for 2-3 seconds in the lower position and rise to the original position.

Weighted

The extra weight (dumbbells, barbell) when performing any of the suggested squats will help to tighten the muscles more effectively. When using a barbell, the arms are fixed at chest level or behind the neck.

The back should be straightened, as incorrect posture can damage the spine. However, before increasing the load, make sure that the body is ready for this, the weight of the dumbbells should be increased gradually.

Swallow

Starting position - standing on one leg next to a stable object (chair, table), leaning on it with your hands. When squatting, the second leg is slowly and evenly pulled back, with lifting it returns to its original position. This squat pulls up the inner thigh well.

Scissors

You need to stand up straight, lower your hands down.You need to take one leg back so that the front leg forms a right angle, linger there for a second to maintain balance, then lower the knee of the back leg to the floor, but so that there is no contact.

The heel is lifted off the ground, and the main weight of the body falls on the front leg. It is necessary to linger in this position, and then return to the original position with one push.

Hindu

Initial position - legs wide apart. Squatting, you need to rise on your toes, and then quickly rise, again dropping your heels. Hands help the exercise, maintain balance. This type of squat additionally puts stress on the calf muscles.

«1000»

This system assumes that you need to do 1000 squats per day. The day can be split into any number of intervals and squatted at any convenient time no more than 10 times per set.

1000 is a conditional number, it is not necessary to do exercises with the last effort to reach this mark, but it is necessary to get as close to it as possible. Such an intense complex should not be done more than 2 times a week.

To increase the effect of exercises in the daily complex, you can include squats with bounces, squats on one leg, with a twist of the body, with joined feet, with a gymnastic ball and many other elements that make more muscles work.

The best result will be achieved by combining some types of squats with a full workout.

Fixing the result

To maintain the results obtained from the practice and to further improve overall well-being, you should continue to squat, even if the desired result has already been achieved.

Depending on the main goal of doing squats, it is necessary to include additional habits in the daily routine:

1. If the main goal of squats is to tighten the gluteal muscles, then, among other things, you should do leg swings, raising your legs from a prone position, and you should work with weights.
2. To tone the whole body, it is more advisable to perform full-fledged workouts for all parts of the body.
3. Squats for weight loss of the abdomen and sides should preferably be combined with cardio loads, with proper nutrition that minimizes the consumption of fatty, smoked, flour products. At the same time, one should not deplete the body with strict diets, the effect of which appears mainly due to the removal of water from the body and due to the loss of muscle mass, and, moreover, it passes quickly. Calorie counting is one option for limiting food intake. The individual calorie intake can be calculated online in a special calculator.
4. In the event that squats were prescribed by the attending physician as one of the forms of physiotherapy exercises, it is necessary to follow the recommendations of a specialist, take the necessary medications, and follow the prescribed diet.

Opinions on the methodology of instructors and women

The benefits of squats are noted by both professional instructors and trainers and doctors. 15 minutes of squats at an intense pace will burn about 130 calories for a 60 kg person, and doing weights can double the result. This type of exercise allows you to keep the whole body in good shape, strengthening the muscles of the back, legs, heart muscle, and has a beneficial effect on the condition of the hamstrings.

According to women who practice individual squatting programs, the effect of complex programs is not long in coming in 2-3 weeks. Girls who alternate daily squats targeting different muscle groups, as well as additional heart exercises, manage to lose up to 15 kg in 6 months, which is the optimal rate of weight loss.

Squats for slimming the abdomen and sides without working out additional muscles (triceps, biceps, calf muscles), without cardio load, according to women, have a local effect.According to them, from such exercises the buttocks are tightened, but the figure as a whole remains the same.

It is also noted that after a break in training, starting over is much easier than at the beginning. So, the muscles get used to the already familiar movements faster.

When to Expect Squats for Weight Loss

The first results from classic squats will be noticeable after 2-3 weeks from the start of the session. Depending on the initial state of the body, on the percentage of muscle tissue and overall endurance, this period may be less or more.

A more visual result should not be expected earlier than 1-2 months of classes. At the same time, working with dumbbells, additional bouncing during exercise will increase the effect. You should also not forget about regularity, and if possible, it is advisable to supplement the squat program with exercises for other parts of the body.

Squats are not only an excellent prevention of heart disease, knee pain and fatigue in the legs, but also a way to improve your figure and overall well-being.

They help to lose weight on the sides, work out various muscle groups, including the rectus, transverse and oblique abdominal muscles, allow the body to spend a lot of energy and improve the relief of the figure as a whole. At the same time, if the main goal of the training is the complex strengthening of muscles, you should include cardio load (running, jumping, etc.) in the training to accelerate the effect.

Article design: Mila Friedan

Slimming Squat Videos

What happens if you do 100 squats daily: