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I was recently asked:

Why is resistance training important for long-term weight loss?

In this article, I unravel the answer to this very common fitness question.

Hamster wheel fitness is not the ideal path to weight loss

Many peoplethink more is better when it comes to losing weight. I see it all of the time cardio-hungry men and women who, inrobotic-drone fashion, bypass the weight room to jump ontreadmills and ellipticalsand they do this every day. Their goal? Cramas many long and uncomfortable cardio sessions into theweek as possible.

Often, these people skip weights and focus on the cardio because they think it is the cardio thatwill produce a greater sweat and burn more calories in the least amount of time. They may think,

Do these questions sound familiar to you?

Cardio addicts think this is the answer to losing weight. Sadly, this is not an efficient method to losing nagging muffin tops.

Its not about more. Its about efficiency.

In fact, this pattern can lead to over-training, muscle and joint dysfunction, injury, and fatigue, all of which ork against losing pounds and inches.To have lasting results with weight loss, it is important to make your workouts smart, varied and practicaland resistance training needs to be a part of your fitness program.

Efficient strength training sessions that focus on building muscle mass will aid in producing long-term weight loss success.

So back to the question,

Why is resistance training important for long-term weight loss?

Resistance training is crucial for long-term weight loss and here are some reasons why.

Maintains metabolism

Resistance training is very beneficial when it comes to burning fat. Your muscle tissue is very metabolically active (it is one of the biggest contributors to metabolic rate) and when you lift weights, your body is forced tomaintain its muscle tissue. Thishelps to maintain your metabolism, even if your calorie intake is reduced.

When yousustain, or even slightly increase your metabolism with resistance training, take in less calories, and keep your hormones in check, thebody has to rely on stored body fat as fuel. Over time, this should make you leaner and moretoned.

but if you lose muscle mass (especially by overtraining with cardio and avoiding weights) you will slow your metabolism and impede weight-loss.

Burn calories long after your training session

Some studies have proventhata strength training workout can burn calories for up to 12-48 hours AFTERyour training session!

Starvation leads to sabotage

A lot of people try to starve themselves into weight lossbecause they feel that if theycontrol calories and do cardiovascular exercise as much as possible, the weight will shed. Even some health professionals promote dieting with calorie restriction.Unfortunately, there aredieticians and nutritionists who do not fully understand how strength training works, think that weight loss (or gain) is dictatedby calorie-control, and push this thought onto others.

Sadly, thistheory has become so mainstream. Calories in, calories out. If you have a calorie deficit, youre going to lose weight, if you consume extra calories, you will gain body fat.

While this is true, it is only part of the picture.

Remember, if you perform too much cardio,avoid strength training and restrict calories, you will break down your muscle tissue. Lessmuscle mass leads to a reduction in your overall metabolic rate and this will make sustaining weight-loss very difficult.

Muscles burn calories

Sure, you need a calorie deficit to lose weight, but how does your body actually use calories? It is your lean body mass, that muscle mass underneath your body fat, that burns calories 24/7, allowing you to actually eat more nutrient-dense calories without gaining significant weight.

Mike Adams from http://www.naturalnews.com does a great job explaining this further:

Lets say you happen to be quite obese and you have a high percentage of body fat. Underneath that body fat you actually have a very strong skeleton and strong muscles. Your body has built up those muscles in order to carry all of that extra body fat when you move your body. Just the very act of standing up, walking across a parking lot, going up a flight of stairs or lifting your arms requires more effort when youre overweight, especially if youre obese. So the heavier you are, the stronger your muscles have to be just to allow you to do basic, everyday things.

Now this can actually work to your advantage if you manage to keep all of that muscle mass and bone density in place while you are losing body fat, then you can maintain the high metabolism thats associated with that lean body mass even while you are dropping body fat. But if you starve yourself, youre going to LOSE all the MUSCLE resources you already have. Its a mistake a lot of people make. They try to lose body fat by starving themselves, and as the body fat vanishes from their body, their muscle mass also disappears. Why would the body get rid of muscle mass? Because, frankly, it doesnt need it.

Your body adapts to the need.

les to lift your body. Its almost like doing a leg press every time you get up out of the chair. If you weigh 300 lbs youre doing a 300 lb leg press, you see? Now if you were to drop 150 lbs of body fat and end up at 150 lbs, your body wouldnt need the same amount of leg muscle to lift you. It would eliminate those leg muscles through catabolic action. You see, the body is an adaptive system. It will adapt to whatever loads you place on it. So if you are a heavier person and youre carrying around body fat, then your body will adapt by creating stronger musc

While it eliminates this muscle mass, your metabolism begins to slow. Remember, its the lean body mass thats burning calories day in and day out, even when youre doing nothing. If you reduce that muscle mass by allowing it to go away (by not challenging your muscles), then your metabolism is going to slow. A lot of people end up at a place where theyve lost the body fat and theyre lighter, but its suddenly so much easier to put on body fat. They dont have the muscle mass they once did, theyre not automatically burning calories, and if they overeat just a little bit, theyll start packing on the body fat again. Mike Adams

Improve your lifestyle by adding resistance training to your routine

If you are not already incorporating resistance training into your workouts, start by adding it to your routines this week. Not only will it help with weight loss, but strength training will also:

Equipment is unnecessary use your environment

Using strength equipment (barbells, free-weights, kettlebells, etc.) is great, but is not always necessary. Dont have dumbbells? No problem.Use the resources around you and use your own body for body-weight exercises.

Kick off your shoes, lift a log, carry a large rock, throw a sandbag. Do not be afraid to lift something heavy once in a while. Heavy lifting aids with muscle growth.

When done properly, a resistance training workout combines cardiovascular elements with movement skills. This gives you cardiovascular benefit, helps with endurance and provides you with long-term toning and weight loss successand you dont have to spend hours in a gym completing the workout.

Incorporate natural movement skills into your routine

Work on improving your natural human movement skills. When you move naturally, you strengthen your muscles.If you train with me, you are familiar with natural movement. If you dont, here is a quick overview of some basic human movement skills. The three categories of movement skill are

For me, this type of fitness is MUCH more interesting, challenging and fun than the human hamster wheels found in gyms.

Break away fromconventional cardio and start lifting,crawling, throwing and carrying

Examples of movement skills

Includingnatural movement skills in your fitness routine isvery effective in shedding weight. I cannot even remember the last time I stepped onto a treadmill or elliptical or counted calories. For me, there is no need to do so and my body and sanity is much better without conventional forms of cardio,exercise and calorie restriction/obsession.

Get started with strength training today!

Adding muscle mass to your body is critical for long-term success with weight loss. Resistance training, in the form of bodyweight, free-weight, or natural movement training is essential for this outcome. Strengthtraining sustains and increases your metabolism, burns calories and provides your body with so many health benefits.

If you tend to skip weight training and obsess over cardio, I urgeyou to tear yourself away from your cardio addiction, add resistance training to your exercise programs, eat more cleanly and rid yourself of that muffin top for good!

If you are having trouble getting started, please contact me and I will help you create a kick-ass program! 🙂

I want to hear from you

Let me know your thoughts by commentingin the comment box. I look forward to hearing from you!

Take carenow go lift something heavy!

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