If you want to see real changes happen in your body, you’ve gotta lift heavy weights!! I do hardly any cardio–zero running, no elliptical, nada. I walk, occasionally ride my bike and do yoga, but most of all I lift!
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, only 21 percent of women lift weights two or more times a week. If you skip strength training in favor of cardio, you’re missing out on the ULTIMATE fat burner!
An article in Women’s Health Magazine states that lifting just twice a week can reduce overall body fat by 3% in just 10 weeks—even if you don’t cut any calories!! That can translate to 3 inches lost off of your weight and hips!!
Is strength training better than cardio activity, like riding a bike or running? YES. Cardio is great for burning calories, but when you’re done running, you’re essentially done burning calories. When you lift weights, your body will continue to burn calories for up to 72 hours after you’re done working out! This is called the ‘after burn effect’, and it’s awesome =)
How can weight training help with weight loss? When you lift, you have more MUSCLE which increases your metabolism–meaning–you burn more calories while you sleep and you can eat more food!!
In one Penn State study, dieters lost 21 pounds whether they did strength training or cardio workouts. But for those who did cardio, 6 of the pounds came from hard earned muscle, while the lifters lost pure fat!! They probably fit into their skinny jeans better because of it too =)
Why does this happen? Like I said above, strength training is the number one way to build more muscle, and for every 3 pounds of muscle you gain, you can expect to burn an extra 120 calories a day—without doing any extra effort!
It’s SUPER important to note, however, that you should NOT rely on the scale when lifting weights—because muscle is denser than fat—so you could weigh exactly the same amount, but fit into a smaller pair of jeans. So if you’re strength training to lose weight, track your progress by how your clothes fit or body measurements.
Other benefits of strength training? It improves your posture, reduces your risk of osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, decreases colds and illnesses AND reduces stress and anxiety. BOOM.
If you are NEW to strength training, I HIGHLY suggest starting off with a program that shows you what to do. You don’t want to show up to a gym and try to figure it out on your own—you need to see what proper form looks like, and you need a simple plan to follow. If you need a strength training and weight loss plan, get on the list for this new program that’s coming out—it’s amazing!
Did this help you? If so, I would really appreciate it if you comment below and share on Facebook!
Rachel Ngom’s Blog
Email: Clientcare@fitwithrachel.com
“Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.” Tony Robbins
PS. If you’re not at your goal weight & need support to get there, this group is what you need.
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Source: womenshealthmag.com
