While it's true you can't out run your fork, exercise paired with a balanced diet is a game changer. As you lose weight, adding strength training to the mix will help you build lean muscle, making it easier for you to tone up while you trim down.
But so many women shy away from lifting weights and run to cardio (pun intended) because they're afraid that they'll "bulk up" and have bought into the myth that more cardio is best for weight loss. When the truth is, for most women, bulking up actually takes a LOT of work.
Did you know that strength training has been shown to boost metabolism and help burn body fat, which will in turn can help you sculpt and shape your body?
That's why if your goal is to lose fat, you want to add strength training to your fitness routine.
"But if I lift heavy, won't I look like a dude?"
Nope. It's not gonna happen. And here’s why. Just like you lose weight by running a calorie deficit, to build massive muscles you would need to eat huge quantities, train super hard, and use supplements to help boost muscle gains.
Body builders don’t magically attain their competition bodies. They work incredibly hard at it through a combination of diet and exercise, often using specific supplementation to help them achieve their muscle gain goals, and it doesn't happen overnight. It often takes years.
So let's bust the myth that lifting weights two or three days a week will make you big and bulky. Eating a balanced diet of protein, complex carbs and healthy fats along with adding weights to your fitness plan won't make you look like the Hulk. Lifting weights will do exactly the opposite. You'll increase lean muscle mass, which helps you tone up, burn fat, and even sculpt and shape areas of your body. Strength training will help you build a better booty and kick bat wings to the curb. And you'll boost confidence, feel strong and sexy in your skin too.
Burn More Calories (even at rest)
Weight training boosts your metabolism by continuing to use energy to repair muscle fibers after you finish your work out. Researchers have found that a full body workout that uses three large muscle groups can raise your metabolism as much as 48 hours after you finish working out. That means you’ll burn more calories even when you're just sitting on the couch.
With a cardio workout you earn the calorie burning benefits while you are at the gym or out on a jog, but only for an hour (or less) after you've finished. Your metabolism goes back to its usual rate more quickly than it does with strength training, so while you could in some cases burn more calories during the actual workout, you'll end up burning less overall. Bottom line: building muscle equals a bigger and longer caloric burn.
Lose The Fat, Not Muscle.
Most women don't want to lose weight, they want to lose fat. And while it's true in order to lose weight you need to be in a slight calorie deficit, when it comes to fat loss, it's more accurately defined as an energy deficit. When your body runs out of food for energy it turns to what it has stored - fat. The trick is to get your body to burn fat stores and not muscle stores, and the best way to do that is by maintaining or increasing the muscle in your body.
"What can I do to increase my muscle?"
You've got to lift weights, and lift heavier. Studies consistently show that people who combine some form of resistance training and slightly reduce their caloric intake lose more fat than those who limit themselves to aerobic exercise. That’s because they're building muscle while they're burning calories. That tells your body it should work on using up fat stores instead.
And exercises that require the coordination and movement of multiple muscle groups at once, such as squats, deadlifts, pull-ups and push-ups, are the most effective for maximizing fat loss and muscle gain.
Shape Your Booty
One of the awesome benefits you get from lifting weights is the ability to sculpt your body. We all have our own “challenge areas” that we'd like to tone, shape and feel fitter in. Strength training lets you target those muscles and shape those areas of your body.
Want to lose the bat wings and have fantastic arms? Start lifting for stronger biceps and triceps. Looking to build a better bum? Strength training your derrière will give you a nice round and lifted peach. Longing for sculpted legs? Grab those dumbbells, hit the leg press or try out the squat rack.
Many women spend hours on cardio trying to shed pounds, but the real key to a tone, lean and fit body is to build fat burning muscle.
Squats and deadlifts will lift and tone your bum in a way that no amount of time on a stair climber can. Shoulder presses and pull-ups will create definition in your arms and back that has you reaching for your sleeveless tops. Muscle makes the figure.
Anyone who has tried to lose weight probably already knows that fat takes up more space than muscle. Fat is fluffy, muscle is lean. So while a pound is a pound, whether it’s made of fat or muscle, muscles are 18% more dense than fat so they take up less space. That means you can put two 150 lb. women of the same height side by side, one who lifts and one who relies on cardio and you'll see two very different shapes and sizes. It's also why I recommend utilizing body measurements and not just the scale to measure progress.
Most of us want to feel fit. We want strong, healthy bodies that make us feel confident and beautiful in our own skin. And strength training can help you achieve all three.
Don’t overthink it. If heading to the gym and the idea of weight machines make you nervous, start with bodyweight exercises like squats, push-ups, and lunges. Add some dumbbells or bands for greater resistance as you go. And as your confidence and strength grows, you’ll feel more comfortable trying new things.
There's nothing wrong with getting your strength training routine started at home. Grab a chair, an exercise ball, and a couple of resistance bands and you'll be building strong and lean muscles in the comfort of your own home.
The key is to get started, and it becomes easier to keep going. The more you lift, the more you’ll lose.
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