The Role Of Strength Training In Weight Loss

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hen it comes to losing weight, what do you picture? Maybe long runs, going to the gym and pushing through workouts, or sweating profusely on the treadmill? That is probably the standard image of how many people view weight loss. Right? So here’s the twist: what if actual ‘cardio’ wasn’t going to be the biggest factor in you losing weight? What if there is actually a completely different factor that will help you to lose weight?

For a long time, ‘strength training’ has been referred to as the form of exercise used exclusively to build muscle, and is almost exclusively thought of as exercises for athletes and bodybuilders. However, hidden beneath all the banging noise(s) of weights dropping and resistance burning is a huge benefit to losing body fat and improving your metabolism (how you burn energy), regardless of whether you are exercising or not.

Try to imagine your current routine. Do you devote all of your time to hopping on the treadmill and counting calories but never give any attention to the weights? This missing factor in lasting fat loss could be the very aspect you’ve been steering clear of altogether. The weights could actually hold the key to sustainable fat loss, while using your muscles will allow you to be successful with weight loss. It’s not about putting more time into something, but rather about using your time wisely! Once you understand how strength training will benefit you in terms of weight loss, your perspective on losing weight will completely change.

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Why Muscle Matters

Although many people view muscles as a means of enhancing one’s physical appearance; muscle is also important because it contributes to metabolism. The more muscle you have, the greater number of calories your system uses while at rest. Cardiovascular exercise utilizes calories during activity only but weight training creates muscle that will continue burning calories long after you have left the gym.

Reflection: Consider your own body (I) as an engine: Do you prefer a small engine that uses up fuel only while operating or a large engine that will continue to burn fuel once it stops working? Weight training builds that larger engine.

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Strength vs. Cardio: The Balance

Doing cardio may be good for your overall heart health, fitness level, etc., but if you're looking for something more specific such as how it's going to help with long-term weight loss, then strength training would be more beneficial. Cardio will burn more calories while the workout happens; however, strength exercises will create changes to your body over a longer period of time. When you do both, you will be able to achieve both ends. If you solely do cardio, and only do very little to no strength training then you might not be completely capturing all the metabolic enhancements that lean muscle can provide.

When laying out your workout plan for the week, make sure that you are balancing your cardio days with strength training or vice versa; if you're probably a bit more on one side or the other then maybe adjust yourself accordingly.

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The Hormonal Advantage

When you lift weights, not only can your body change shape but you can also manipulate the way that your body produces and uses hormones. You are better able to utilize your body's carbohydrates when you lift weights because you become more sensitive to insulin, and your body will store less carbs as fat and begin to utilize them as energy.

Additionally, when you lift weights, both growth hormone and testosterone are produced, and they directly affect fat metabolism and recuperation from weight lifting activity (repair muscle tissue).

And, if you have already noticed that the weight training makes you feel more powered, less likely to feel hungry (and give you more energy) that long cardio workouts do, then you have seen a good representation of the effects of hormones at work on your internal's (in your body) and your external's (in your body).

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Beyond the Scale: Body Composition

The weight you lose is not only represented by the amount of weight on the scale; rather, the weight lost, like losing muscle along with fat, can result in feeling weaker, slower and less flexible than before.

 A strength training program can help to reduce body fat while maintaining (or increasing) your, lean muscle. This explains why when two people weigh the same, one could appear very different from the other because muscle weighs less than fat (therefore) giving one person a leaner, more defined appearance.

Reflect on how you measure progress in terms of weight. Many individuals measure progress based solely on pounds lost. Consider tracking results other than weight. Strength gains, energy levels and the fit of clothing may be better indicators of your progress.

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Practical Ways to Add Strength Training

Some of the best exercises for beginners are squats, pushups, lunges and planks. You can use different types of resistance for your strength training program, such as dumbbells, kettlebells, and/or resistance bands. You should also progress very gradually in your strength training program by increasing weights and the number of repetitions over time. You don’t need to do a lot of strength training. If you perform total body workouts two to three times a week, you will get tremendous results!

What’s keeping you from using weights? Are you intimidated, unsure of how to do it, or afraid that you’ll gain muscle mass (“bulk up”)? Whatever it is, remember that everyone can benefit by including strength training in their fitness routine.

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Mindset Shift: From Burn to Build

Many individuals have a “burn calories” mindset when it comes to fitness; however, having the “build strength” mindset of strength training changes this. This mindset is liberating because it is no longer viewed as punishing the body; rather, it is used to empower your body. When you start building rather than burning (i.e., lifting more weight vs. burning calories), you can then focus less on the number of calories burned during a workout and instead, you can celebrate your progress: lifting more weight, standing straighter, and having more energy. Interestingly enough, you will typically lose more body fat from building strength than from focusing on calories burned.

Reflection: After finishing your next workout, reflect on whether you burned calories or built strength; if you feel empowered by one of them (in this case, the more sounds) then congrats!

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Real-World Scenarios

• The cardio fanatic: Works out regularly but does not see any results in losing weight. Adding resistance training to their workout will help with plateauing as well as increase metabolism.
• The busy professional: Has no extra time for/cannot squeeze in lengthy cardio workouts. Two or three full-body resistance training sessions per week will produce better end results for the busy professional’s time than several hours of cardio each week.
• The beginner: Has an aversion to using free weights. They can begin with body weight training to build confidence and see the fastest results.
• The experienced athlete: Has a combination of cardiovascular training/resistance training to develop lean muscle mass and long-term fat loss.

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Conclusion: Strength Is the Secret

Losing weight isn't just about losing size - it's also about changing the shape of your body. Cardio can help you lose weight, but it will not help you build muscle or create balance between the hormones in your body to enable your metabolic rate to increase. Your week-to-week effort should not go up in miles as your body responds better to smarter ways of working out than just long, continuous cardio workouts.

When you go to the gym tomorrow, stop for a second and look around. Are you going to head right to the treadmill, or are you going to go lift weights? Your decision could be the turning point in your fitness journey.

The strongest path to weight loss isn’t found in endless miles—it’s found in the power of resistance. Strength training doesn’t just change how you look; it changes how your body works, even when you rest…

Pick up the weights, embrace the challenge, and discover the secret to lasting fat loss…

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