What type of body do you want to have, a lean skinny body or a toned fit body? Either way, you likely want to reduce your body fat. Regardless of how much cardio you do, you can benefit from weight lifting for weight loss and strength, and here’s why.
Don’t Follow Failing Fitness Trends Set Your Trend
For us old enough to remember the fitness trends in the 1908s and 19090s it was all about aerobics, aerobics, aerobics or bodybuilding to be like the Terminator. In the 2000s we had the rise of CrossFit and amateur athletic competitions which have continued to grow. You may also remember some of the trends that did not last like the no shoe running or Vibram five finger running shoes, even though many people still use these they are trending down. One beautiful thing about fitness trends is they attract a lot of people to improve their fitness. Although the bad thing is when the trend dies, so do the healthy habits. Many of the sustained fitness trends involve weight training.
Weight Training is for Developing Strong Muscles
You need to get out of the misconception that weightlifting is for bodybuilder and powerlifters only. While powerlifting involves hefting beefy dumbbells, and bodybuilding builds massive, muscle-bound bodies, weight training can be used to tone, tighten, and trims your flab. Resistance training is the best way to develop strength and grow muscle fibers, and weight training is the most effective resistance training. There are a lot of benefits of being stronger and having a little more muscle fiber.
When You Have More Muscle You Burn More Calories
You will burn a lot of calories performing your weight training. Additionally, you will also see a rise in your metabolism and energy levels. Another benefit is that you will increase lean body mass, and the calories you burn overall will rise. Because firm, toned muscles burn more energy. Subsequently, your fat loss from every workout, including cardio, will increase as your strength increases.
Bodybuilders Do Cardio Too
Most people think bodybuilders are all muscle, and they are right. Being all muscle means they have very little fat. Likely bodybuilders have less fat than the skinny person you know who runs almost every day. The difference is bodybuilder do a lot less cardio, but they do cardio too. However, when a bodybuilder does cardio, they are burning a lot of calories in all that muscle tissue. You can increase your calorie burning through weight training too. Weight training is not a fad or “quick fix”; it is a lifelong healthful habit. To weight-train successfully, however, you need to develop a routine that will accomplish what you want and what you’ll be able to maintain.
As Franklin Covey Says “Begin With The End in Mind”
If you have ever read the book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” you know exactly what I am talking about. When you step foot into the weight room and pick up your first dumbbell or barbell, you need to understand why you are doing it. You can easily get sidetracked by what others are doing and think you should be doing that too if you don’t have a clear goal and plan to reach that goal. Additionally, if you step into the gym without the purpose, you will have nothing keeping you there.
Developing Your Strength Training Plan
The first step to developing your weight-training routine is to decide what you want to accomplish. For example, you need to see what you want to become and set that as a goal. By setting goals, you can effectively set up your routine to get the kinds of results you want to achieve. An old saying goes, “If you aim for nothing, you will probably get it,” is true in this situation too.
Everyone Has a Different Ideal Self What is Yours
What is your ideal self? What areas do you want to change? You may want only to target specific areas of your body, or you may want to go for overall toning. If you are an avid cycler, your goal may be to improve the firmness and strength of your upper body since you work your legs frequently. On the other hand, you may want to focus on overall toning and weight loss, and then you should give each muscle group some attention. We have some great resources on how to do a lot of weight lifting exercises properly here.
For Men How to Design Your Workout With Thomas DeLauer
Woman Don’t Worry About Looking Like a Man
Women should not worry about becoming muscle-bound. Since the female body has far less testosterone than the male body, it is much more difficult for women to build mass. For women, if you tried to build muscle like men, you will develop lean, toned bodies and not bulky muscular bodies. However, if you’re lifting to tone, either gender should keep the weight slightly challenging with a realistic number of reps.
Design of Find Your Program
After you set your goals, you can design your routine. The amount of weight should work for you, but not break you. You should feel the strain, but you should not force yourself to do more repetition of sets than you are able. If you want to build mass, then you should be lifting to failure. As a result, if your goal is to build muscle mass, then you should have a lifting partner to “spot” you when failure comes.
Start With What You Have Available
You will only do a weight training program if starting the workout is simple and fits in your life. If the gym you want to use is 30 minutes out of your way, you just added an hour to your day that is not exercising. Though it is better to use a gym than to work out at home, the gym will keep you more accountable. Most gyms offer classes and trainers that can design a routine for your goals. Most trainers will help you set up a system, and their expertise can get you started on the right track. If you don’t want the personal trainer to motivate you and push you regularly, make sure you are clear up front. It is always good to spend a little money toward your goals, so you have a sense of loss not to give up.
Before You Begin, Make Sure You’re Ready
It’s essential to ask your doctor for advice before you begin, especially if you have had any injuries in the past. Ideally, you want to weight train three times per week, spreading out your workouts so that you have a rest day between every day of lifting. On the days that you don’t lift, you can do cardio to continue on your fat burning and weight loss goals. Best of all, your weight lifting for weight loss will increase the effectiveness of your cardio for weight loss.
Stick With Your Plan and Get Sore Even When Weight lifting For Weight Loss
Sticking to your plan is by far the most challenging part of weight training. You have to be patient and not expect to see immediate progress. Most beginners will get very sore for the first couple of weeks, and then they lose the soreness. Don’t be like those beginners, always weight lift to make yourself sore. When your muscles are sore, they are repairing themselves to be stronger. It is in the repair phase of weight training that the real gains occur. Unfortunately, many beginner lifters feel sore from the first couple of weeks, then stop increasing the difficulty and the weight. If you don’t raise increase the difficulty, you are setting your plateau.
For Women Heidi Somers Discuss How To Create a Workout Plan
Be Patient and Be Happy With How You Feel First
Many beginning weight trainers are also disappointed that their body weight doesn’t plummet as they had expected. If you want to lose just a few pounds, your weight might not change. Since the fat you will lose is replaced by muscle. Not to worry although your weight might be the same, you will be losing inches off your legs and stomach. If your weight remains stationary, don’t focus on pounds, but on how toned you are becoming and how healthy you feel.
Build Weight Training as a Habit
The only way to keep fit and toned is to make weight training a part of your weekly routine. For most people, slipping off to a gym is a welcome break from life’s business. Others prefer the privacy and convenience of a home gym. This doesn’t necessarily mean dedicating a corner of the family room to a cumbersome weight bench. A set of free weights should do the trick. Check out a sporting goods store to test out a set and decide what you need. Most discount store chains even sell dumbbells and strap-on weights (good for toning legs) in a variety of sizes.
Pick a Time That You Can Stick Too
Timing can be everything. You can make weight training a habit by lifting at a time of the day that is good for your schedule. For some people getting up extra early before work is the best. For others, after-hours workouts are an excellent way to unwind after a stressful day. I enjoy fitting in weight training at lunch, though this is pretty challenging unless your work has a gym. Whatever the time, make weight lifting a priority. Many Christians believe that they shouldn’t have a stunning physic but should be modest in their physical appearance. For you, your body is the Lord’s, and it is important to keep it healthy for His service.
Don’t Quit If You Miss Your Goal
It is also essential to keep your goals realistic. You should strive for strength, fitness, and health and not perfection. No matter how willing you may be to train hard, not everyone has the genetic potential to be on the cover of Muscle and Fitness. Find pleasure in the little successes and set new goals frequently. Admittedly, life happens, and there will be times you miss a workout. Don’t let missing a workout set you back. Readjust your schedule and perform your missed exercise as soon as you can. Don’t cram lifting days together though, ensure you are giving your body time to rebuild.
Enjoy the Process
Working out is work, but it should be enjoyable, too. Keeping your exercise pleasant makes it much easier to stick with it. Wear comfortable clothing and quality gym shoes, stretch out before and after working out, and use proper lifting methods to avoid injury. Lifting weights can be an activity to enjoy with your spouse. Listening to uplifting music, audio books, or news programs can keep workouts interesting as well.
Ramp Up the Weight Lifting For Weight Loss
While cardio is beneficial for weight loss and should be part of your weight loss routine. You should include weight lifting for weight loss to maximize your health and results. Boosting your body’s metabolism is just one of weight training’s many benefits. By deciding what you want to accomplish, designing a personalized routine, and sticking to your weight-training plan, you can maintain a higher level of fitness than with aerobic exercise alone. Take the time to incorporate weight training into your life. After you feel the positive effects of lifting, you will be glad you did.
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