Can We Use Weight Training To Lose Weight and Burn Fat?

Everybody knows that lifting weights is a great way to build muscle fast and this is what weight training is primarily associated with.

But what about weight training to lose weight and burn fat?

Fewer trainee's realise that a weight training program can be used as a fantastic tool to shed excess body fat due to the association weights have with only muscle building! This is a big misconception, especially by women who are scared by the thought of adding muscle to their frames.

Ok Altug, So HOW exactly is weight training to lose weight and burn fat helpful?

Glad you asked! The first way in which weight training can assist you in burning fat is through your actual workouts - If compound exercises are used with suitable weight (by suitable I mean using enough intensity so that your last two repetitions are difficult to perform - Ditch the little purple 1kg dumbbells) and rest periods are kept fairly short, then you will burn a substantial amount of calories during your session.

To add to the point about keeping your rest periods short, you can also turn your weight sessions into a form of cardiovascular training if you train in a circuit fashion (Going from one exercise to the next with minimum rest). This type of training will provide good stimulation for your muscles whilst also helping to burn fat - You're practically weight training to lose weight!

The second way in which a resistance program will help you to burn fat is by raising your metabolic rate - Now this will only happen if you make increases in muscle mass. Ok, before you run for the hills because you're somebody who just wants to 'tone' or putting on any extra muscle mass scares you, let me explain something! A tiny 1 pound increase in muscle tissue will have you burning an extra 50 calories a day. An extra 2 pounds (1kg) of muscle tissue will have you burning a 100 extra calories a day!

So with 2 pounds of extra muscle, in a week you'll burn an extra (7 days x 100 calories) = 700 calories

In a 30 day month you'd burn an extra (30 days x 100 calories) = 3000 calories

In a year? (365 days x 100 calories) = 36'500 extra calories burned that otherwise wouldn't have!

I think you get where I'm going with this - Having just 2 extra pounds of muscle mass (which will make you look lean and toned rather than muscle bound if you've gained it over the entire body) can greatly assist in keeping your metabolism high and burning fat!

We can all agree that this is a desirable situation for almost everybody. Whether you're looking to lose weight fast or build muscle, weight training can help you to achieve your goals.

Let's look at the other end of the spectrum. What do most people do when trying to burn fat and lose weight fast? They forget about weights and just focus on cardio (or just diet without exercise!). Not including a weight training regimen if you're trying to burn excess fat can be a costly mistake.

What will inevitably happen is that your muscles will have no reason to be there if they're not being stimulated to any great extent and they will get smaller. Smaller muscles equals less calories being burned which will mean a slower metabolism which ultimately means...it becomes easier for your body to store fat! Not what we want!

Hopefully the benefits of a weights program have been revealed to you in this article if you're trying to lose weight and that you now understand the potential hazards of leaving weight training out of your routine. To answer the initial question of this article - Yes, we can and definitely should use weight training to lose weight and burn fat!

I hope that the information you've learned here has also helped to open your mind a little bit more to the possibilities of weight training and how weight training to burn fat is just as valid an option for weight loss as it is for muscle building.

Until next time...Keep fuelling your metabolic fire!

Thanks for reading


Altug


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About the Author:

Altug is the owner of LoseWeightBuildMuscles.com.

Having formerly been a stick thin, skinny guy AND a chubby teen - He now helps people on a daily basis to achieve their life long fitness goals and lead a healthier, more fulfilled lifestyle.

Altug currently works full time in a London Gym as a Fitness Manager with an Advanced Level 3 Fitness Professional qualification amongst many others.

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