sports and diets

[saajuk-khar]

hi!

i'm currently trying to lose some weight. i height 1,86m and weight 95kg. my objective is 85kg.

i've used to work out a lot but i never got any thinner because of that. so right now i'm looking for some activity to help me get to my objective.

i was thinking about doing one of the following: savate/muay thai, rugby, swimming, water polo or team rowing (dont know if this is the right term). i got really bored at gym despite doing a lot of different exercises per session, but i dont mind to try it again.

browsing through the forum i got the idea that sports are not so good when it comes to losing weight. got that right?

 

[Spencer Young]

In general, cardio helps burn calories, so any sport that keeps your heart rate up there should be a good fat burner. I've also read good things about interval training (basically spurts of all out effort mixed with rest). Without the proper diet, though, you'll have a hard time losing weight - how are your eating habits? Muay Thai looked really fun when I visited Bangkok, you should go with that anyway

 

[saajuk-khar]

very balanced diet, i suppose.

had a few alcool related bad habits but left them for good. there's nothing else to add i guess.

muay thai is terrific but i'm a lot more into savate actually. i just don't have any idea of the quantity of calories i can burn doing any of those sports.

 

[Spencer Young]

http://www.calorie-count.com/calorie...vities/15.html has rought amounts of calories burned by various sports. It's impossible to be precise, so take the numbers with a grain of salt; it should give you a rough idea of how well sports burn calories.

 

[Renault78law]

rowing is probably the best full-body workout. of the sports you mentioned though, women tend to think waterpolo players have the best bodies.

 

[LA Guy]

Rowing is great for weight loss, as is cardiovascular exercise done at high intensity - I personally run intervals and 400m and 800m sprints. Diet is also important. Cut down on carbs.

However, bear in mind that not everyone has the same genes. I worked out (pretty much exactly the same workout) as a friend for a few years, and we ate very similar diets, but he gained lots of muscle, but did not really look lean (although he was definitely pretty fit - just no six pack or anything), why I got what I always get - whippet thin with defined muscles but low bulk.

 

[Chicago]

Rowing is fantasic to drop weight and build a little lean muscle.

If you want a sport that (if played in a challenging enough league) will help you drop weight, I swear by soccer. Since college I've always added a couple pounds during the winter, but was able to shed it all come spring because of the soccer leagues I've joined. Finally this year I got around to finding an indoor league and was able to keep most of the weight off. Of course I've been playing for 20 years so I'm playing at a quick pace and working hard the whole game. If you've never played, this wouldn't likely help you.

Racquetball has also proved a great cardio workout if the competition is good.

 

[Thomas]

All of the sports mentioned are great for overall conditioning, but I would advocate running, particularly steady-pace long-distance running (3 mi and longer) for weight loss.

Consider running every day to drop weight quickly. Start slow, with short distances (1 mile or so, depending on conditioning) and work your way to longer distances, gradually.

Also, run in the mornings. Generally speaking, your metabolic rate rises with your heart rate, but falls much more slowly. If you eat smaller meals you'll benefit from accelerated metabolism throughout the day.

 

[mensimageconsultant]

Running on a machine is another option. The cycles that fluctuate the resistance (or elevation) make it more challenging, and indoors is safer in many ways. Outdoors can be more interesting, though. Either way, it doesn't hurt to do some power walking before beginning a running routine.