How to Lose Weight by Lifting Weights: Expert Strength Training Tips From Personal Trainers

While cardio exercises like running on a treadmill or cycling local trails are often the ideal solution for those looking to lose weight, they are not the only way to reduce fat and achieve your fitness goals. If lose weight or improving muscle tone are your main goals, strength training may be a better option.

Strength training can help jumpstart your metabolism, melt fat, and make you fitter than ever – when done correctly. A recent Reddit thread in the beginner fitness community sparked a discussion about the benefits of strength training for weight loss over cardio, with many people sharing that they found strength training to be an essential part of their routine for preserving muscle mass while losing weight.

To find out more, we spoke to fitness experts to get their opinions and advice.

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Which is better: cardio or strength training?

There is a constant back and forth as to which one is most effective for achieving your ideal physique: cardio or strength training. According to New York-based personal trainer Oscar Colon IV, cardio is great for burning more calories during a workout — and it’s essential for keep your heart strong — but strength training affects your body differently. “Strength training has a dual effect because you burn calories during the workout and during recovery and restoration of the muscle groups you worked,” he says. As a result, you get more results for your efforts.

It’s always a good idea to incorporate cardio and strength training into a well-rounded fitness plan so that you can reap all the benefits. What you do with either may also depend on your current goals. If you’re training for your first marathon, cardio will be your main focus as you build endurance, while strength training will be a priority when you’re trying to get stronger or build muscle.

How Muscles Influence Fat Burning

As mentioned earlier, strength training can help you burn more calories during and after your workout. This is through lean muscle mass that you gain through strength training. If your goal is to lose weight, having more lean muscle mass can make the process easier.

This also means that the more lean muscle mass you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate will be. Your resting metabolic rate, or RMR, refers to the total number of calories your body burns when at rest. Biologically speaking, resting metabolism facilitates your organ functions, neurological functions, breathing and blood circulation.

American Council of Exercise certified personal trainer, performance specialist and Garage Gym Reviews expert Rachel MacPherson explains that muscle is metabolically active, meaning it burns calories even when resting. Although the effect is small, it is significant and accumulates over time. “It also helps counteract the decline in metabolism and muscle mass as you age, which can contribute to middle-aged weight gain,” she says.

Strength training also has fat burning benefits when you’ve just finished a workout. “Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption is the process by which your body regulates itself to return to homeostasis after an intense workout,” Colon explains. In other words, you continue to burn calories during your recovery because your body stays warm for a while as it cools down.

How long does it take to build muscle?

Now that you know that lean muscle mass is the key to fat burning, you’re probably wondering how long does it take to build muscle. It varies from person to person, depending on genetics, hormones, gender, diet and other factors. play a role in the amount of muscle you build and how quickly. “If you exercise regularly three to four times a week for 30 minutes each session, you should realistically start seeing results in three to four weeks,” says Colon.

MacPherson says you can build muscle mass every week, and following a 12- to 16-week hypertrophy training program is ideal for seeing significant muscle gains. “You can expect a muscle gain of up to 5 to 10 pounds during this time,” she says, adding, “As you become more advanced, you’ll have to work harder for less gain, but you’ll still see results.”

Why Beginners Can See Results Faster

This is another great aspect of strength training: if you’re a beginner, you tend to have an advantage over someone more experienced when it comes to building muscle. This is what some people call “beginner gains,” which refers to the muscle development in your body. response to lifting weights because he is not used to this kind of stimulus. Research has shown that untrained people (those with little or no bodybuilding experience) can build muscle faster than someone who already has bodybuilding experience.

How Gender Affects Muscle Growth Speed ​​and Results

Generally speaking, men and women also experience different results when it comes to building muscle mass. “Men can build muscle mass much easier and faster than women thanks to testosterone, while women can still build substantial amounts of muscle but will never look as big or full as men unless using anabolic steroids,” explains MacPherson. “It is essential that women lift enough volume and weight while eating enough to support their muscle gain.” This means abandoning the old-school mentality of dieting and shrinking; otherwise, it will inhibit your ability to build muscle.

How Your Diet Influences Muscle Growth and Weight Loss

In addition to a well-structured training program, a diet that promotes muscle development is also essential. “To build muscle, you need to eat a calorie surplus and plenty of protein,” says MacPherson. She explains that eating in excess will cause you to gain body fat, which is normal and necessary to gain muscle. “You can lose it afterward, and it will be easier since your body burns calories better thanks to the increased muscle mass.”

Additional Bodybuilding Benefits

Strength training has other benefits besides helping you metabolize and get stronger. The colon says it is also important for bone development and density. “Weight-bearing exercises put temporary pressure on your bones, sending a message to the cells that build bones to take action and rebuild stronger bones,” he says.

Another benefit of strength training is reducing your risk of injury by improving the strength, range of motion and mobility of your muscles, ligaments and tendons. “This can build strength around major joints like the knees, hips, and ankles to provide additional protection against injury,” says Colon.

Another benefit is for your heart, as strength training has been shown to help reduce blood pressure. You can also reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, improve blood circulation and reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol. Exercise has even been shown to have a positive effect on your mental health, and resistance training also reduces anxiety.

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The essentials

It helps to know the unique effects of strength training on your body when establishing a consistent exercise routine. Not only will you naturally burn more fat by having more muscle, but you will maintain your strength as you age and improve other functions in your life as well. If you don’t have access to a gym, you can start your exercise program at home and still get the same results, provided you have the appropriate equipment.

Even if your goal isn’t weight loss or body recomposition, strength training offers many benefits worth adding to your lifestyle. This will only improve your well-being in the long term.