Weight Training and Weight Loss

Weight training and weight loss have a direct connection, and I'm going to cover this topic here today and break all of this down to show the effects of long term strength training on weight loss!

We all have wanted to lose weight at some point in our lives. Think about this in terms of setting small habits that will lead to HUGE life changing results in the long term. Let's look at the relationship between weight training programs and weight loss!

Weight Training and Weight Loss: Best For Long Term Safety

Weight training and weight loss have a perfect connection to each other in this sense: The more muscle we build the more fat we burn over time. In some “traditional fitness” methods focusing on performing aerobic activities had been the new normal all through the 80's and 90's, as somewhere between 30 – 70% of runners are injured yearly. But more and more word continues to spread about the science of strength training, safety AND effectiveness really matters.

What happens to the human body when we are doing any kind of aerobic activity? Our metabolism is increased for ONLY that short time we are doing the activities. Then our baseline metabolism still stays the same once the session is over. Aerobic activity doesn't build muscle, and to get the best long term exercise results we want to add muscle to our bodies! More behind the science of strength training here.

Weight Training and Weight Loss: Building Muscle is KEY

1. For every pound of muscle we add to our body we burn an EXTRA 37.5 calories PER DAY just sitting still!

2. It is possible to add 9 pounds of muscle to your body in just six months!

Doing the math here is easy. If we started a weight training (strength training) program today we could be burning another 337.5 calories EVERY DAY of our lives. It would take us running five miles every day to burn that many calories without doing weight training. So I always urge individuals to make the most of their time. 20 minutes only twice a week is a way better time investment than spending days and days in a packed gym every month.

When utilizing weight training our bodies also naturally produce microscopic proteins called myokines. There are over a HUNDRED important different functions of myokines in the body, they're responsible for decreasing inflammation in the body, decreasing blood pressure, increasing auto immune response, building bone density, and initiating apoptosis in cancer cells. Science continues to show us that weight training is the superior form of fitness, I highly suggest the book Body By Science, which really goes into further detail.

Long term, focusing on weight training for weight loss is going to be the safest and the best bet. There are other techniques that we can implement that will help us lose weight faster over time, BUT going with fad diets and fad fitness programs sometimes can be discouraging because so many methods are unfortunately not based on evidence and science.

If you are looking for a better investment in your time with fitness and weight loss, I highly suggest that everyone implement weight training into their routine. You may also find over time, like I did, that aerobic activity like running is not worth the effort. Less time CAN equal greater results! Don't take my word for it, though. Test it out!