Weight Training for Weight Loss
Still trying to lose weight but can’t figure out what you’re doing wrong?
Maybe what you’re missing is a good weight training program!
Many people make the mistake of avoiding weight training when their goal is weight loss. They worry about bulking up or they just assume that cardio is the best route.
But you want to know the truth about weight training and weight loss?
The truth is, weight training is probably the best thing you can do for weight loss. Let me tell you why…
Weight training is great for weight loss for a few reasons. First, just like cardio, weight training gets you moving, which means you’re burning calories and fat during the actual exercise.
You can increase the speed of your movements to help improve these benefits. Lower your weight a bit, and get out faster (but controlled) lifts at a higher number of reps. I recommend aiming for 12-15 reps periodically if your goal is weight loss. This helps you burn more calories while gaining lean muscle mass.
And there’s more you can do with your weight training workouts. If you incorporate circuit training, you can really keep your heart rate up during your gym routine. This means no rest between sets, and alternating between single sets which target different muscle groups. Supersetting is another great option for keeping your heart rate up. With supersets you can do two or more exercises back to back without taking a break in between and this will elevate your heart rate considerably meaning more calories burned.
But the real weight loss benefits of weight training come from the long-term metabolism boosting effects. Unlike cardio, which only raises your metabolism for that day, muscle mass maintains a higher metabolism even on days you don’t work out!
That’s right, the more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate. So regardless of whether you’ve worked out, your metabolism will naturally be higher – meaning you’ll burn more calories and fat in the long run!
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do cardio at all. But it does mean you should be lifting some weights, even if you need to cut down on the cardio a bit to do so. You’ll be surprised to see how much it helps with your weight loss goals!
In order to help you gain more lean muscle mass from your workouts, if you’re not taking a quality whey protein supplement like Gaspari Nutrition Myofusion then you are most likely breaking down more muscle then you are building it. Incorporating a high quality protein shake into your breakfast and post-workout snack can help you build more lean muscle – which means more fat burned. It will also help you feel full longer and fight the cravings which often sabotage your results.
I like Myofusion because the quality and taste is fantastic and doesn’t compare to the brands you find in grocery stores and even most local supplement stores. If you’ve had a hard time with the taste and texture of previous protein shakes don’t give up yet.
Weight Training for Weight Loss and Motivation
Now if you have problems with motivation which during this time of year can be most challenging then you really want to focus on planning your week in advance. Get everything ready the night before and just spend two minutes going over your workout routine for the following day.
Lately I even prepare my pre-workout energy drink the night before so I can slam it down and get my blood flow going right before I leave for the gym. I’ve found a mix of arginine and creatine is the best since arginine helps your blood vessels expand and the creatine helps you with energy to get some more reps. Mixing half a scoop of USPLabs Jack3d & half a scoop of Gaspari Nutrition SuperPump MAX is a pretty killer combo.
Post workout you should include a scoop of Scivation Xtend into your protein shake to help your muscle recover faster from your workout and trust me on this one, your results will be amplified.
Have any questions or feedback about weight training for weight loss? Please leave a comment below…
I saw the video of ” Men’s Fat Loss 20-39 Stack. The video is quite informative. But I think its incomplete. As you have not mentioned as when to eat what. For example if One is taking Pre work out then when to eat fat burner. What should be the time gap between these two and when one should take BCAA. If one is taking pre work out then how can we take BCAA also as a Pre work out. I request you to mention the way and the time gap also
See my articles Pre Workout Energy Foods & Post Workout Nutrition