Notice to all men! Are you trying to shed a few extra pounds? Luck is on your side. Interestingly, men generally lose weight faster than women, according to Medical News Today. One reason may be that men generally have a higher amount of lean muscle mass than women. But even if you think you have a solid routine on deck to jump-start your fat-burning journey, there are certain exercises men shouldn’t do for weight loss. We consulted an expert to share some productive weight loss tips for men, including which exercises you shouldn’t waste your time on.
The more muscle you have on your body, the more calories you’ll burn, according to Medical News Today. Therefore, men tend to lose weight faster than women. It seems a little unfair, but a 2018 study proves it. Research observed more than 2,000 overweight pre-diabetic men and women who stuck to an 810-calorie-a-day diet for two months. The data reveals that men lost 16% more weight than women. So this information is good news for men for weight loss.
Eat this, not that! chatted with Mike Bohl, MD, MPH, ALM, director of medical content and education at Ro, certified personal trainer and member of our Medical Expert Council, who points out that while all kinds of exercise are always more beneficial than none at all, there are five exercises that men should avoid when looking to lose weight. When it comes to fat burning, some exercises aren’t as beneficial as others for burning calories. Plus, some moves just won’t help you achieve noticeable results when it comes to weight loss. That being said, keep reading to find out the five exercises men shouldn’t do to lose weight.
First of all, abs machine workouts aren’t as productive for building a six-pack as you might think. Dr Bohl explains: “While it’s true that machines can help strengthen the rectus abdominis muscle, the muscle that forms the six-pack, having a six-pack has more to do with the amount of subcutaneous fat covering the muscle rather than the size of the muscle.”
Performing core workouts for balance, spinal stabilization, and good posture are still essential, but when it comes to burning calories in an effort to shed belly fat, the Abdominal machine work alone will not be enough.
Performing exercises for hip abductors and adductors is not the best use of your time in the gym. “These exercises work the muscles in a relatively limited range of motion and probably don’t burn enough calories to be worth it,” Dr. Bohl points out.
Dr. Bohl explains that yoga and pilates are great for improving your mental well-being, balance, and flexibility, but they’re not great for losing weight fast. “These exercises burn a relatively lower number of calories for the time they take,” Dr. Bohl shares.
Aerobic workouts like playing tennis, running, jogging, and swimming are great ways to improve your heart rate, improve your cardiovascular well-being, and burn calories. However, Dr. Bohl tells us that while a complete workout routine, including one targeting weight loss, should include aerobic exercise, performing aerobic exercise at an intense level on its own can have negative results in this regard. about your body composition.
“If you just do intense cardio and don’t incorporate weight training into your routine, you can end up losing muscle mass. In the long run, it slows down your metabolism because just having more muscle mass is an effective way to burn more calories throughout the day,” says Dr. Bohl.
Any exercise that costs you more time than you have to devote should be re-evaluated. When trying to lose weight, consider what any particular exercise you do will “cost” you. What does that mean? Dr. Bohl brings an interesting perspective.
Your gym time is precious and limited. A weight loss goal means your time needs to be spent wisely. Case and point? Including exercises that involve a single movement that targets small muscle groups can be productive in building those particular muscles, but may not be the best way to lose weight. For example, bicep curls are great for improving arm strength, and calf raises are a great choice for building leg strength. But Dr. Bohl explains that none of these exercises will burn as many calories or be as effective at losing weight compared to full-body exercises.
For more efficient use of time, Dr. Bohl recommends focusing on workouts that activate multiple muscle groups simultaneously, especially large muscle groups. A good example is your legs.
“Many closed chain exercises are great for targeting more than one area of the body. Closed chain exercises are exercises that are usually performed against a stationary object (like the floor or a barbell) and can be weighted or simply count on body weight. Good closed-chain exercises that can burn calories and lead to noticeable weight loss include push-ups, squats, pull-ups, and lunges,” says Dr. Bohl.
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is the associate editor of Eat This, Not That!’s Mind + Body, overseeing the M+B channel and bringing readers compelling stories about fitness, wellness and self-care. Learn more about Alexa
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