How to find the perfect workout for a woman's body type

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Iya Zorina understands whether it is possible to correct the "joints" of the physique, and tells how to do it.

What types of shapes are there

Probably everyone has heard about the "apple" or "pear" shape. These names describe the difference in the proportions of the female body and the distribution of adipose tissue.

This is not a scientific classification, but just a convention that is used to select suitable clothing. Therefore, the types of figures do not have clearly defined names, and their number varies depending on the source.

Here are five more or less general categories to navigate:

• Pear (triangle, spoon, A-shape, tree). The lower body is wider than the upper body, fat primarily accumulates on the buttocks and hips, the chest and shoulders are narrow. Sometimes the "spoon" and "pear" are described separately - in people of the second type, the transition from the waist to the hips is more pronounced.
• Inverted triangle (V-shape). The shoulders are wider than the hips, the chest is wide, and fat accumulates in the upper body and abdomen.
• Rectangle (H-shape, banana). Shoulders and hips are the same width, no curved waistline.
• Hourglass (X-shape, figure eight). The shoulders and hips are the same width, the waist is narrow. Sometimes the hourglass is divided into upper and lower: in people from the first type, the girth of the chest is greater than the girth of the hips, in the owners of the second, on the contrary.
• Apple (oval, O-shape, diamond). Shoulders and hips are narrow, slender legs. Most of the fat is concentrated in the chest and abdomen. Sometimes this category describes separately the "oval" and "diamond" shapes. The former have larger breasts than the latter.

What determines the type of figure and can it be changed

There are several factors that affect your body shape:

1. Skeleton structure … Your proportions are largely determined by the width of your pelvis and chest. There is nothing you can do about this factor, except go through a resection of the lower ribs for a thinner waist, but this procedure can lead to complications.
2. Features of the accumulation of adipose tissue … There are different types of receptors in fat cells. Some contribute to the breakdown of fat, others - the accumulation. The number of such receptors in different parts of the body determines where you will build fat in the first place, and lose it last.
3. Body fat percentage … This factor depends in part on genetics, such as the characteristics of the beta-3-adrenergic receptors in adipose tissue or the response to food stimuli. At the same time, environmental factors are also important. For example, excess calories, lack of sleep and stress can increase the amount of fat in the abdomen and turn the "rectangle" into an "apple".

If you can't do anything with genetics, then environmental factors lend themselves to correction. You can lose those extra pounds and visually adjust the shape a little. For example, make the hips appear more voluminous and the waist looks narrower.

But at the same time, do not hope to change your body type and from an inverted triangle to turn into a pear or hourglass. Firstly, it is impossible, and secondly, it is absolutely unnecessary.

Your body can be beautiful and sexy regardless of your chest size, waist circumference, hips and their ratio.

If you love and accept yourself, but still want to change your figure - simply because it seems beautiful to you - we will show you how to choose the right tools and avoid common misconceptions.

How training will help people with different body types

We'll first list what can be done for different body types to get closer to the prescribed beauty standards, and then we'll look at exactly how to achieve this.

Apple

The main problem with this type is excess fat on the belly. Exercising will help reduce the waist and increase the volume of the hips and buttocks. Exercise can also strengthen the muscles in your chest, shoulders, and arms to visually expand your upper body.

Pear

Exercise will help you shed excess fat on your hips and buttocks, shrink your belly, and strengthen your arms and shoulders.

Triangle

Through workout, you can increase the volume of your hips and buttocks, which will provide a more feminine silhouette. In this case, you should not exclude exercises for the upper body. Aside from doing heavy presses, pull-ups, and handstand push-ups, strengthening your chest, shoulders, and arms will provide a toned appearance and won't make the top bulky.

Rectangle

To increase the difference in waist and hip circumference, you can work the muscles of the legs and buttocks. Strengthening the upper body - chest, back and shoulders - will also accentuate the waist and provide a harmoniously shaped, sculpted body. The only thing is that you should not get carried away with exercises for pumping the oblique abdominal muscles. They can visually expand the waist.

Hourglass

Exercise will help you shed excess fat from your hips, lift your chest slightly, and strengthen your arms and shoulders.

How to practice to correct the figure

Once you have defined your goals, choose the right methods to achieve them.

To remove fat from your thighs

Many people think that endless squats and lunges will help burn fat that accumulates in the lower body. It is a myth.

In one experiment, people performed 960–1,200 repetitions of the one-leg press three times a week for three months. As a result, they got rid of 5.1% fat, but it took more from the upper body than from the thighs. Moreover, the working leg lost no more weight than the one that was left without load.

To lose weight, you need long-term cardio sessions, or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) - both types of exercise do well with extra pounds.

HIIT takes less time than long cardio: it only lasts 10–20 minutes, burns a lot of calories, and boosts your metabolism. But at the same time, these complexes feel less comfortable. In the process of work, you will have to give all your best in short intervals, suffocate and feel a burning sensation in the muscles.

Your best bet is to try both cardio and HIIT and decide which is right for you. In addition, you can combine these types of loads.

Have 2-4 cardio sessions a week for 30-60 minutes. You can replace one or two of them with high intensity interval beats of 10–20 minutes.

If you're overweight, choose non-shock cardio to avoid overwhelming your knees and feet. Try elliptical or stationary bike classes, swimming, jumping rope.

It is also worth adding strength exercises. They are not as effective for weight loss as cardio and HIIT, but they still help you burn more calories, speed up your metabolism, and increase muscle mass, which also requires more energy. Moreover, the more muscle groups you engage in training, the more calories you burn.

Exercise all muscle groups twice a week: hips and glutes, chest, back, arms and abs.

You can work out both in the gym and at home. In the first case, you will work with free weights and exercise on simulators, in the second, you will make movements with your body weight, use dumbbells or elastic bands-expander.

And don't forget about food. Regular cardio and strength training can help you shed excess fat without dieting, but it will take a lot longer than forming the right eating habits.

Eliminate sugar, flour and alcohol, add more vegetables and fruits, lean meat and fish. Do not limit yourself too much or go on a strict diet. Get used to eating like this all the time, only then you can get rid of those extra pounds for the rest of your life.

To remove belly fat

Contrary to popular belief, abdominal exercises do not help you burn belly fat, or anywhere else, if you do it only and do not monitor your diet. What's more, pumped abs can visually enlarge the core if all the fat stays in place.

Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to lose weight, and for this, exactly the same methods are used as for losing weight on the hips: cardio and / or HIIT, strength training, proper nutrition.

To speed up weight loss precisely at the waist, try twisting a weight hoop (1.5 kg). Six weeks of this 13-minute workout a day can help you lose 2% belly fat and reduce your waist by 3cm.

Just don't think that one hoop will be enough. Do this in addition to cardio and strength training, not instead.

To enlarge your hips and buttocks

Strength training will help to increase the muscles of the legs and buttocks, which visually expands the lower body. To build your hips, do back and chest squats, machine leg presses, dumbbell and barbell lunges, deadlifts, and good morning.

For sexy buttocks, exercises such as glute bridge and pelvic extension with support on a bench with a barbell, forward and reverse hyperextension, and hip abduction on the simulator are suitable.

For how to do these and other good lower body exercises, see the articles below.

Do 1–2 hip and glute exercises for each strength workout. Perform 3-5 sets of 6-12 times. Choose a working weight so that the last repetitions are given with difficulty.

And do not forget that for muscle growth, not only load is needed, but also recovery - at least 24 hours must pass between two workouts. And to provide the body with building material, add to the diet 1, 8-2 g of protein per 1 kg of weight and healthy carbohydrates in the form of cereals, vegetables and fruits.

To enlarge the upper body

Girls often ignore upper body strength exercises for fear of getting muscular arms and broad shoulders. However, the hormonal characteristics of the female body will not allow you to swing especially.

The fact is that women have 15–20 times less circulating testosterone, a hormone that promotes muscle growth. So huge biceps and shoulders without pharmacological support will not threaten you.

Upper-body strength exercises will only be beneficial: it will help you burn more calories, keep your arms and chest tight, support your back health, and reduce the risk of fractures and dislocations in your daily life.

Pick one chest, back, shoulder, and arm exercise from the articles below and do it in three sets of 6-12 reps for each workout. If the fear of "looking like a man" is too strong, try sets of 15-25 times with lighter weights - this format pumps more endurance than muscle size.

Remember that body shaping is not a quick process. It can take from several months to several years to make a qualitative change in body composition - to build muscle and reduce body fat.

Therefore, do not go on rigid diets and get used to enjoying sports. Make proper nutrition and exercise an integral part of your daily routine and you will be happy with your appearance for the rest of your life.

Read also?

• 15 mistakes that prevent gym visitors from achieving results
• 5 non-feminine sports every girl should consider
• How to determine your body type and how to live with it