Weight Training Best for Fat Loss

It may come as a surprise to you, but it's clear that weight training leads to increased fat loss. Weight training increases lean body mass (muscle) which in turn raises metabolic rate. Weight training also has a higher afterburn than other activities.

Muscle tissue is more metabolically active. It burns more calories twenty four hours a day than fat. Fat burns far less calories than muscle and a pound of fat takes up more space than a pound of muscle.

Weight training also has a higher afterburn than other activities. Afterburn refers to the number of calories you burn up post exercise. Your body burns up mores calories 24-48 hour after weight training due to the muscle repair process and the fact you intensely and anaerobically worked your system. The same cannot be said for low intensity long duration exercise. Weight training even has a higher afterburn than interval training.

A good fat loss program combines a thorough weight training program with some cardio. Interval training is recommended for cardio because, like weight training, it has a higher afterburn than traditional lower intensity steady state cardio.

Engaging in two to three brief but intensive weight training sessions a week can build lean body mass, rev up your metabolism and increase fat loss. You don't have to join a fancy gym either. Resistance training can be done at home with some dumbells and a flat bench. You can also use body weight exercises which require no equipment.

Like all exercise programs, beginners should begin slowly. Choose 8-10 exercises covering the major muscle groups and a weight you can do for 8-12 repetitions. Start with 1-2 sets of each exercise at a moderate weight and work your way up. Eventually raise the weight and lower the repetitions to 6-8 per set.

Compound exercises are preferable to body part isolation exercises. Compound exercises use many muscle groups and/or joints in a single movement, whereas body part training attempts to isolate one muscle group. Compound exercises promote functional strength and burn many more calories than isolation exercises. Examples of compound exercises are squats, lunges, dead lifts, bench press, military press. chin ups and dips. Examples of body part isolation exercises are bicep curls, hamstring curls, lateral raises and tricep kickbacks.

As you progress you need to constantly overload your musculoskeletal system on a regular basis to keep improving and burning fat. You can do this by adding sets, increasing the weight and changing the exercises. Use interval training for your cardio to continue to boost your metabolism. If you reach a plateau, you may want to try a few sessions with a personal trainer to learn some new exercises and training techniques.

If you are serious about losing fat, weight training is a must. It has by far the highest afterburn of any type of exercise and adds great looking muscle which keeps your metabolic rate revved up all day long.

Dr. Lanny Schaffer is an Exercise Physiologist and President of the International Fitness Academy