Fitness Instructor: First of all, building muscle isn't easy for girls. Muscle building requires certain scientific principles, including a combination of diet, rest, sleep, and daily training. Compared to women, men's hormones and physiological characteristics make them more prone to muscle growth, so they build muscle more easily during training. However, it takes women longer to build muscle; they must ensure adequate daily rest, proper diet, and a regular training cycle. So, girls, don't worry about this. Since the instructor wants to sculpt a perfect, hot physique for you, they won't let your muscles grow excessively.
39 Health Network: Is there a sport specifically designed for women?
Fitness instructor: Many sports are specifically designed for women, such as exercises that target the obliques and core, and squats for the legs and glutes. Generally, women exercise to optimize their proportions, including their bust and hips. For example, Asian women tend to have flatter hips, not as full as African women. Therefore, Asian women need to specifically practice exercises that lift the buttocks; another key focus is on waist and abdominal exercises, primarily to reduce fat deposits in the waist and abdomen.
39 Health Network: How many hours per week should you exercise to see results for weight loss?
Fitness instructor: If you have a good space to exercise regularly, we recommend three to four times a week. However, some people may have busy work schedules and find it difficult to coordinate exercise times. In such cases, you should at least ensure you exercise about twice a week. If you want to lose fat through exercise, be sure to make full use of the first hour and a half, as this is the period when you are most effective at burning calories and fat.
39 Health Network: Can you achieve the same effect by doing some exercises at home?
Fitness instructors advise against doing professional fitness programs at home, such as yoga or Pilates. Firstly, it requires very specific conditions: a well-ventilated space with a flat, soft, and safe floor. Secondly, it requires highly professional training methods. Improper methods can negatively impact the practitioner's bones, muscles, and other aspects of their body.
Fitness instructors: It depends on individual needs. Men mainly focus on fat loss and muscle gain, while women may primarily focus on fat loss and body shaping. The training plan needs to be tailored to their specific needs; the instructor will create a customized program to sculpt their physique, based on their intentions and goals.
39 Health Network: Some people gain weight after stopping exercise. How can you avoid weight rebound after stopping exercise?
Fitness instructor: Suddenly stopping exercise will cause weight gain. Some people consciously stop eating while dieting, and when they stop exercising, they tend to overeat, which is the main reason they gain weight.
The principle is actually quite simple: regular exercise increases metabolic rate. If you suddenly stop exercising, your metabolic rate drops. If you still eat the same amount as when you were exercising, you'll naturally gain weight. Therefore, after reducing your exercise, you must control your sleep schedule, including your diet. Appropriately controlling your diet will significantly reduce the chance of rebound weight gain.
Of course, exercise is a long-term process, and it's best to maintain it consistently. If you have to stop exercising due to work or other reasons, you should do at least one or two anaerobic exercise sessions per month.
Furthermore, if you're exercising at a gym, a professional trainer won't tell you to do fasting or extreme diets. They'll ensure you get three nutritious meals a day, preventing the loss of essential nutrients like salts, protein, water, and minerals. In this situation, if they can maintain regular mealtimes during exercise, they won't experience rebound weight gain. This is because they're losing fat, not water, so drinking water won't cause them to gain it back.
39 Health Network: What should you pay attention to in terms of diet and nutrition during exercise?
Fitness coach: Generally, it's important to focus on protein intake during exercise, eating plenty of protein-rich foods such as egg whites, beef, and chicken breast. It's also important to replenish carbohydrates during exercise to prevent hypoglycemia during high-intensity workouts. (Can I drink a lot of water immediately after exercise? What dietary precautions should I take during exercise?) For muscle training, after speed training, the diet should be high in protein, vitamins, and include vegetables and fruits. It's actually advisable to eat something an hour before exercise; exercising on an empty stomach is not recommended. Some people believe that exercising on an empty stomach leads to faster weight loss, but this is not recommended. (How long after exercise can I eat?) Generally, it should be 20 minutes to 30 minutes or more. (What are the negative effects of eating immediately after exercise?)
Eating immediately after exercise can cause vomiting or stomach discomfort because the digestive system is in a state of heightened contraction after exercise. Water intake should also be spaced out, and large gulps should be avoided.
