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Weight Loss Exercise

Does Lifting Weights Burn Fat?



I always get asked does lifting weights burn fat? People who want to drop extra pounds often turn to cardiovascular exercise in order to burn fat. Many trainers recommend aerobic exercises to burn calories, saying that strength training is only good for building muscles.

Does Lifting Weights Burn Fat?

Does Lifting Weights Burn Fat?

Does Lifting Weights Burn Fat?

However, more and more people these days are becoming aware of the importance of muscle development for long-term fat loss. That is why people are beginning to ask, “Does lifting weights burn fat?”

Combine Cardio and Weight Training

Not too long ago, people who wanted to lose weight performed intense aerobic workouts such as running, jogging, swimming, or exercising on an elliptical trainer. Cardiovascular exercise elevates the metabolism during workout and for a short time after the workout session.

Weight training, on the other hand, develops muscle mass and increases the body’s metabolism long after the exercise session is over. The reason is that muscles require more calories to maintain than fat does. Thus, lifting weights actually burns fat faster.

Does Lifting Weights Burn Fat – Higher Metabolism

Strength training builds more muscles in the body. Because muscles use up more calories, your body turns into a fat-burning furnace. With more lean muscle in your body, your metabolism will increase. Lifting weights actually helps you burn fat even while you rest. After your weight lifting session, your body will continue burning more calories for a longer period than you would after an aerobic session.

Build More Muscles

Many people think that bigger muscles are developed during strength training. Lifting weights actually tears down the muscles. Muscle development and repair take place during the rest period following the weight lifting session. It is while you rest and recuperate that your muscles grow bigger and stronger.

Burn Fat Faster

Cardiovascular exercise provides a calorie-burning workout that melts fat from all over your body. However, if you want to keep the fat off it’s necessary to combine weight lifting with your cardio workout. This will increase your metabolism so your body burns more calories even while you are resting or sleeping. Strength training using resistance methods or by lifting weights helps you burn fat and keep it from coming back. For every 3 pounds of muscles gained, you burn about 120 calories more per day.

Avoid Quick Weight-Loss Diets

You may be tempted to go on a miracle or starvation diet when trying to lose weight quickly. This is bad because it will cause the loss of muscle mass. Any weight lost will be quickly regained. It is best, instead, to work towards a gradual fat loss by combining weight lifting and cardio activities. This will allow you to build up muscle mass and increase your metabolism. Although it may take longer to attain your ideal weight, the results will last longer.

So, does lifting weights burn fat? You know now that it does.


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Weight Loss Exercise

A Body Building Routine That Works


Finding a body building routine that works is not as easy as many beginner bodybuilders think. First, there is such a huge number of possible routines. This is not surprising when you consider how many muscle groups there are to work and how many possible exercises there are for each one. When you think about all the combinations you could make, you can see that the number of possible workout routines for body building is almost infinite.

Copying somebody else’s routine is not usually the best way to go. You are not going to develop the same body as the current Mr. Universe by reading up on his routine and doing the same thing yourself. It is very unlikely that your body is ready for exactly the same workout that he does right now.

A Starting Body Building Routine

A Body Building Routine That Works

Starting Body Building Routine

So what do you do? If you are just starting out, then probably any standard beginner body building routine will do fine. It is true that what works for one person will not necessarily work for anybody else but in the beginning it is okay to figure out your best plan by trial and error.

However, you do need to be sure that your workout routine covers all of the bases. Check it out against the following scheme. And if you want to plan your own body building routine, this is a good way to go.

First, note down all the muscle groups that you need to work. That is pretty much all the muscles in the body. Do not forget the core and especially the muscles of the back. It is dangerous to overdevelop the chest, shoulders and abs while neglecting the back because you can so easily cause an injury there.

Then choose an exercise that works each group. This could involve dumbbells, a barbell, or gym machines such as the bench press. Some exercises will work out more than one muscle group.

Now you are ready to plan your body building routine so that each muscle group is worked around twice a week with at least one full day of rest between. It is good to give yourself a couple of days of complete rest from working out, too.

Watch Your Results – Is your Body Building Routine Working?

What if nothing seems to be working? First, consider whether you are giving your muscles enough rest. Bodybuilders who do not get the results they expect are often guilty of overtraining. Remember that the muscles are broken down during your workout. The time that they build mass is during the recovery time. So do not be tempted to overtrain.

Second, look at other factors such as your diet. Are you getting the right amount of protein and carbs at the right times? Have you looked into possible supplements that you might take?

Lastly, keep in mind that it is good practice to change your routine around from time to time. This counters boredom and more importantly, works the muscles a little differently than what they may be used to. You will often find that changing out one ab exercise for another or using a different press at the gym will be the catalyst that you need to start gaining muscle mass again. All of these tips will help you figure out a body building routine that works.