STRENGTH TRAINING AND EFFECTIVE WEIGHT LOSS
Over the years, most people believed that doing intensive cardio is the only effective way for weight loss. However, new science has shown that effective healthy weight loss requires burning fat while gaining muscle mass and weight training is the way to achieve this. Well, you may say: “I seem to burn more calories in a cardio workout versus a weight training workout.” Yes, you’re right! If you were to compare a 30-minute high intensity cardio to a 30-minute weight training session, you would most likely burn more calories for the same amount of time and effort. However, weight training provides more of the long-term benefits to weight loss rather than just the workout itself. For instance you are often times burning more calories after the workout from weight training than cardio.
Below are a few important benefits of weight training for weight loss.
AFTERBURN
A few posts back, we talked about what the Afterburn Effect is (Click here to read) and how when your EPOC, Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption increases, it creates the Afterburn Effect resulting in an increased metabolic rate for up to 24 hours after your strength training workout, hence burning more calories! So, hitting the weight section at the gym can not only help you burn calories from the workout but you are greatly benefiting from the Afterburn Effect so essentially you are burning more calories and fat effectively to support your weight loss journey in the long run.
If you haven’t already, sign up for a ReformFIT Bootcamp Class today where we combine strength, cardio and HIIT into one workout so that you can gain all the benefits possible from exercising.
INCREASE LEAN MUSCLE MASS, BASAL METABOLIC RATE & LONG TERM FAT LOSS
When consistently incorporating weight training into your exercise routine, it has shown that your lean muscle mass increases. As we age, our lean muscle mass decreases and if we don’t do anything about it, we start to lose muscle and it will be replaced by fat. So without much diet changes, if you were to strength train consistently, it will be beneficial in weight loss and maintaining the body shape you want by building more muscle and preventing fat gain.
Another great benefit related to increased muscle mass is that the more lean muscle mass you have, the greater your basal metabolic rate. Your basal metabolic rate is the amount of calories your body burns naturally without moving your body. So if you weight train consistently, you will be burning more calories on your rest day, then the average person who does not weight train.
PREVENT OSTEOPOROSIS OR BONE CONDITIONS
Strength training not only builds your muscles but it also helps build stronger and denser bones! It has some incredible benefits on bone health by increasing bone density, improving joint flexibility, and also reduces risk of fractures.
