Strength Training and Fat Loss
I love strength training, seriously, It's up there with running for me. It might surprise you to know that the best bit about it, is feeling strong. It boosts my confidence being able to walk up to the 'big boy rack' at the back of the gym and bosh out a couple of squatties, throw the barbell around a bit and do some deadlifts. Of course, I'd have never even attempted it before kids and before my PT training. I wouldn't have known how and being what I considered a little pudgy, I was too shy and embarrassed to ask one of the muscle-clad PTs there. When I went to the gym, it was always the treadmill. I'd head straight to it, feeling totally body-conscious, hiding in oversized t-shirts and long leggings, not making eye contact, and avoiding all weights-even dumbbells...
If only someone had taken me under their wing, told me about the benefits of strength training, how it would make me feel more confident, help me change my body shape, and reduce the wobbly bits I felt so desperate to hide.
Well, this is me taking you under my wing and telling you.
Strength training is awesome! It's not just for bodybuilders or those with athletic aspirations. Anyone and everyone can benefit from a stronger body at any age, it's never too late to start. But what it's really good for, an added bonus if you like, is fat loss. Especially if you have hit that plateau from doing a calorie deficit diet by itself.
Strength training has a huge impact on your metabolism (the number of calories you need to burn in a day). Every time you lift weights or use a resistance band during an effective training session you will be building small amounts of lean muscle. By building lean muscle tissue and gradually increasing your muscle mass, your Basal Metabolic Rate (the number of calories your body burns at rest) increases. Ergo, the more muscle mass you have, the higher your BMR will be and the more calories you will burn both at rest and during exercise.
Strength training also helps to reduce your body fat percentage. For your muscles to grow they need energy and the source of that energy is calories, Fortunately, or not, these are currently being stored in your body as fat. So, when you strength train your muscles will use some of those stored calories as energy meaning that you will be burning fat.
There is also the "afterburn" effect of exercising and this is called EPOC (Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption). This is where your body continues to burn calories at a faster rate for a short period of time post-workout. The reason this happens is that during strenuous exercise your body's stored energy levels deplete within the muscle and the muscle has to start producing energy quickly so we can sustain the effort. When we stop, the stored energy needs to be replenished for the body to return to its normal state of balance. Production of energy requires more oxygen and so enhances the EPOC effect.
When it comes to setting up your strength training program for fat loss, there's no shortage of exercises out there that claim to be the best. But when it comes down to it, compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, etc are the way to go. That's because they involve multiple joints and muscle groups. Thinking about this logically, it would make sense. The bigger the muscle or the more muscles you use during an exercise, the more energy is needed. You get more 'bang for your buck' as they burn more calories and fat per rep. The more muscle is stimulated the more muscle is gained. Compound exercises are also generally more fun than isolated exercises like bicep curls (no offense, biceps). And as they are more time-efficient you don't have to spend hours in the gym! What a win!
So now we've established that gaining muscle does help you lose fat, what are you waiting for? Get started on a strength-training program today and feel the amazing benefits for yourself. And if you want help to get going or want someone to keep you accountable, don’t hesitate to contact me. I would be happy to provide personal training sessions that will help you reach all of your fitness goals!