How resistance training helps you lose weight

Resistance training is all about using a counter force to exert against your body movements. This may come in form of weights, elastic bands or even your own body weight.

The main idea of resistance training is building and toning muscle strength though most people confuse this with intense bodybuilding. Many people lose interest when you mention resistance training because they think it’s hardcore stuff only for the bodybuilders at the gym. They could not be more wrong

Basic resistance training just a few sessions per week can give a boost to your metabolic rate and improve your fat loss timelines. Let’s take a look!

How Many Calories Does Resistance Training Burn?

Resistance training, over time, raises your metabolic rate higher and faster and one of the best benefits of resistance training is not necessarily the amount of calories that you burn during a workout, but rather the number of calories you burn while you rest! How?

Fundamentally, during exercise your body either uses some of your body’s fat reserves as an energy source, or it will use some energy that has not been stored (eg if you had a meal just prior to working out – the energy in that meal will be extracted by your body and uses to fuel the workout. That’s during exercise. But what about after exercise?

Well here’s where resistance training really helps! After your workout and during the day, the lean muscle mass you build up needs energy to be kept alive. So your body actually needs to burn more calories during the day to fuel the muscle tissue you’ve developed during your resistance training. You can actually get upwards of 50+ calories per day of “free” fat burning simply for your body fueling your new shapely, toned muscles.

So in short, when resistance training over a period of time, you get the calorie burning benefits during the workout but also the additional calorie burning throughout each day. It’s a perfect storm for weight loss!

Resistance Training Tips

Consult with a professional trainer who will help you develop a personal program that will work best to suit your needs. Ensure that your resistance training program includes a warm-up before and stretching after the workout.

Your training program should have a component that increases the amount of resistance and repetitions as your body develops to make exercising easier. Remember to work on your large muscle groups at the beginning for weight loss (these big muscles consume more energy) then target small muscle groups for body toning.

Other Forms of Exercise For Weight Loss

• Walking for 20-30 minutes a day
• Aerobic exercises
• Swimming
• Running and jogging
• Engaging in sports activities such as soccer, basketball
• Cycling

General Weight Loss Tips You Need to Remember

• Set weight loss goals
• Have commitment and focus
• Skipping meals to lose weight does more harm than good
• Train with a partner to stay motivated
• Create a sensible workout routine
• Eat right (low carbs and junk foods) and drink plenty of water
• Don’t over-train yourself

Resistance training is an excellent program for anyone to begin. It can improve both your overall physical and mental health. Start off slow, and constantly build your way up to doing more. There are many ways to resistance train, so choose one that feels right for you. You can change routine at any time because variety is good for your muscles!