Strength Training To Lose Weight
There is a growing consensus that strength training can help you lose that belly fat faster than doing just cardio exercise alone.
In 1999 a group of researchers set out to explore the effects of resistance vs. aerobic training combined with an 800 calorie liquid diet on lean body mass and resting metabolic rate.
Two groups of ten individuals were placed on very low-calorie diets consisting of 800 calories per day. One group performed 1 hour of cardio exercise, 4 times a week by walking, biking or stair climbing. The other group performed 3 strength training workouts a week, consisting of 10 stations. During each workout they completed two sets of 8-15 repetitions, increasing to 4 sets of 8-15 by the end of 12 weeks.
In the end, the cardio group lost more weight than the strength training group. BUT…
The weight they lost consisted mostly of lean body weight, i.e. muscle. The group that performed strength training lost NO lean body weight, despite consuming a paltry 800 calories a day.
Another important discovery was how strength training actually increased resting metabolic rate or the number of calories the strength training group required at rest. The RMR of the cardio group dropped.
A second study, also done in 1999, by Kramer, Volek et al. set out to examine the physiological effects of a weight-loss diet with different types of exercise.
They took 35 overweight men and randomly assigned them to one of four groups:
Control group
A diet-only group
A diet group that performed aerobic exercise three times per week.
A diet group that performed both aerobic and strength training three times per week
After 12 weeks, the diet group lost 21 pounds, the diet plus cardio group lost 20 pounds (1 less than diet alone!) and the group that performed both aerobic and strength training lost 22 pounds of body weight.
For those of you who hate exercise, this might look like a good thing, right? After all, doing cardio actually produced one pound less weight loss and adding weights to the cardio only bumped up weight loss by 1 pound over not doing anything. For all that effort, who needs it?
BUT… before you give up exercise..
The amount of FAT lost for the diet-only group was 69% of total weight lost or 14.5 pounds.
The amount of FAT lost for the diet-plus-cardio group was 78% of total weight lost or 15.5 pounds.
The amount of FAT lost for the diet, cardio and strength training group was 21.3 pounds!
That’s SIX more pounds of fat lost over twelve weeks. To put that in perspective, that’s taking a lot away your midsection…just by doing some strength training a few times a week.
This study, in particular, demonstrates the importance of NOT focusing just on how much body weight you lose, but on how much fat you’re losing. While accurately measuring your body fat can be difficult, you can use a body composition monitor to help you. They can help you track trends in your body fat levels.
Why Strength Training Works
For light exercise, your metabolism may be elevated for just a few minutes after exercise, but for more intense activities, like weight training for instance, your metabolism may be elevated for up to 36 hours after your workout.
When you perform intense weight training, you’re burning additional calories for a much longer period of time than if you merely do cardio exercise.
Muscles are like ” far furnances” they burn calories…
Cardio and Strength Training To Lose Weight
Weight loss is most effectively achieved through a combination of BOTH cardiovascular exercise (i.e., treadmill, biking, swimming) and strength training. While the cardio will get your heart rate up and burn calories, strength training brings great weight loss benefits, too. Strength training adds muscle mass to your body, and increased muscle mass means a dramatically increased metabolism. Adding even a few pounds of muscle will increase the number of calories your body burns each and every day.
Focusing only on cardio and skipping strength training could actually make it harder for you to lose weight. In fact, you may even gain weight – especially if your cardio workouts exceed 45 minutes. If you do cardio too long, your body consumes muscle for energy. For most people, that “too long” mark is at about 45 minutes. Done over and over again, day after day, this excess cardio could have a substantial impact on your body – and the muscle loss could decrease your metabolism and result in weight gain.
If you have 60 minutes of gym time, here’s a recommendation of a client looking to lose weight:
25 minutes of cardio (5 minutes of warming up, 15 minutes of intervals, 5 minutes of cooling down)
30 minutes of strength training
5 minutes of post-workout stretching
An effective fat loss program will include regular strength training and cardio workouts, done either separately or together, depending on your schedule and goals. Another important component is, of course, eating a healthy diet as well. By implementing all three components, you can maximize your weight loss and your health.
High Performance Athletes Using the Herbalife Programmes
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.325118400841419.82304.324189967600929&type=1
Take a look at our facebook page featuring elite performers using the Herbalife Nutrition Programmes = High Performance Athletes.
Else Lautala – Three Times Fitness World Champion.
Carolina Kostner – Wins Gold at Ice Dancing Grand Prix.
Tania Cagnotto – Gold Medal 1m European Diving Championship, Italy.
Rachel Cadman – The first woman to complete the Enduroman Arch to Arc Challenge. Thats a 87 mile run to the English Coast, 21 mile swim across the English Channel and followed that by cycling 181 miles to Paris.
Reducing Body Fat % from 14% to 10%
Tips from Nicole on how she reduced her body fat percentage from 14% to 10%. Workout every day plus Herbalife Nutrition. Two shakes a day, two snack and one meal. Eat 5/6 times a day, every 2-3 hours.
At Herbalife we focus on getting measurable results. Do all health clubs and gyms provides such results?
Tom Holland | Exercise Physiologist
Tom Holland is an exercise physiologist committed to helping people better their lives through fitness and through his message of “Believe in Yourself.” He has encouraged and coached thousands of people to reach their fitness goals; from losing weight to climbing mountains, running marathons and completing Ironman triathlons.
Tom is the author of Beat the Gym: Personal Trainer Secrets Without the Personal Trainer Price Tag [William Morrow 2011] The Marathon Method [Fair Winds Press 2007] and The 12-Week Triathlete: Train for a Triathlon in Just Three Months [Fair Winds Press 2005].
He is the host of the 10 DVD series Supreme 90 Day, co-host of Herbalife’s 12 DVD fitness program and the Abs Diet Workout.