How does strength training help with weight loss?
Aside from a few hundred extra calories you burn during a workout (there’s 3500 calories in a pound of fat) there’s no direct impact on weight loss.
However, the indirect impacts can be pretty profound.
Lets also be clear that strength training does have to challenge your strength. Wether it’s done on your own, 1 on 1 with a trainer, in a small group setting, or a large group fitness class, the resistance used should challenge you in the 6-15 repetition range. Heavier weights won’t make you bulky and weights that are too light won’t do the trick.
How to lose weight?
First let’s cover how to lose weight in the first place. To lose weight you must consume less calories than you burn. This will force the body to use fat or muscle (stored energy) as energy to make up the difference.
The kicker is, your body is more likely to get rid of muscle when you’re in a caloric deficit. Muscle costs more energy to keep than fat. Because of this your body will prefer to get rid of as much muscle as it can while conserving your fat. Unless…
…keep reading 👇
How to lose fat instead of muscle
The first indirect way that strength training helps with weight loss is in the type of weight it helps you lose. I’m assuming that the majority of people trying to lose weight would actually like to lose fat. If my assumption of you is wrong you may want to ditch the strength training.
By strength training you are at the very least telling your body that you NEED the muscle it has. Therefore when your body loses weight it’s more likely to get rid of fat instead of muscle.
If you don’t tell your body you need muscle (by strength training) you’ll burn more muscle and less fat.
You can also tell your body that it needs MORE muscle by lifting progressively heavier weights. This will help you use more energy to add muscle resulting in an even bigger fat loss.
Why is having more muscle good for weight loss?
There’s a few reasons why having more muscle helps with weight loss.
- The more muscle you have, the stronger you are, the more work you can do, the more calories you’ll burn during your workouts.
- The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism, the more calories you’ll burn at rest and throughout your daily activities.
- Muscle looks good. The more muscle you have the quicker you’ll start to see muscle tone in your arms, shoulders and legs.
strength training, injury prevention and weight loss
Consistency might be the most important variable when trying to lose weight.
It’s hard to stay consistent if you keep running into injuries.
I’d you’re injured you’re likely unable to keep up with workouts, intensity and daily activities. These are all crucial when it comes to weight loss and keeping the percentages of fat loss high.
With the right types and amounts of strength training you can reduce your risk of injury. Less injuries means less down time. Less down time means better and faster results. Better and faster results means more motivation to keep going.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to lose weight one of the most important things you can do is strength train regularly. You should shoot for no less than 2 days a week but 3-4 is better. This will help make sure you are burning a higher percentage of fat, building muscle, staying healthy and pain free and increasing your chances of getting great results and maintaining them.
If you have any questions about what a solid strength training program should look like, visit my Instagram page or book a free consultation by clicking either of the buttons below.