Obesity is a big problem not only in the United States but around the world. It feels like everywhere you go people are increasingly getting out of shape. In my country, women especially struggle with the issue of obesity due to a variety of factors, but in other countries, men are more affected. Obesity is not only unhealthy, but it is also considered to be unattractive by some. Being obese can lead to being harassed and bullied, and while it isn’t fair I can certainly understand wanting it to stop. Even if you’re not obese, you might want to lose weight for a variety of health and aesthetic reasons. Depending on your body type and health condition, the optimal way to lose weight might be different.
There’s a difference between losing fat and losing weight. I think that when most people say, “I want to lose weight”, they mean “I want to lose fat”. The human body isn’t just made up of fat, and fat weighs more than muscle. Fat is burned through exercise because fat is stored energy. This is why high-calorie food ends up making people fatter than low-calorie food most of the time. The best exercise for burning fat is strength training, particularly calisthenics. Examples of calisthenics include pushups, situps, pullups, and dips. These types of exercises use your bodyweight for your benefit, and allow you to get stronger without getting too bulky. Definitely do these types of workouts over weightlifting if getting too big is a concern.
The best way to lose weight is by entering a caloric deficit. When you take in fewer calories than you burn, your body will shed weight. This is why eating less in conjunction with cardio is what’s commonly prescribed for weight loss. So in theory, you can lose weight just by eating less. But the best way to burn fat is through calisthenics. If you do calisthenics and eat properly, you end up burning fat and building muscle. This allows you to look good fairly fast as a male. It also works for women and looks good in my opinion. That being said, a lot of women want to look less bulky. Calisthenics still work in this case, but you can replace them with tennis or some other kind of sport in order to burn energy without growing muscle. That being said, most people never come close to training too hard. Unless people are commenting on the size of your arms, I wouldn’t worry about calisthenics making you too big. The large number of calories burned makes it so that you have to put in a lot of years to gain muscle. But, once you have a routine down pat, you’re going to build more than enough muscle to look good and you’ll be super strong! I remember being in college and trying to do pushups with a small woman on my back. I was able to do them easily, while a heavier young man who lifted weights couldn’t. Calisthenics work wonders for building functional strength.
This all means that the best way to lose weight is to follow tried and true advice: get moving. Running and walking are great, but they only account for the fundamentals. Climb, swim, and do bodyweight exercises that make you stronger. With the right diet, you should be lean, healthy, and strong. You’ll also get into the habit of having fun as you work out which makes you more likely to stick to your routine as time goes on.
What Are Some Good Calisthenics Routines to Follow?
I freestyle my calisthenics routine. I work hard at what I enjoy doing and haven’t yet taken the time to maximize my physique. Earning money has been my main focus as of late. However, I have never really found myself being led astray by bodybuilding.com. Here is their basic guide on calisthenics. Be careful when doing calisthenics. Oftentimes, the joints aren’t stable if you haven’t worked out in a while. Be careful not to injure yourself.
