Losing weight through weightlifting
Most people turn to cardio workouts for fat-burning and weight loss, rather than weightlifting. It is true that muscle is heavy and by increasing muscle mass, you increase your weight. But a weightlifting routing can actually be designed to help you burn fat, speed up your metabolism and ultimately lose weight.
The “Resting Metabolism Rate” (RMR) is the speed at which your body burns calories while you’re at rest. While fat becomes inert during periods of rest, muscle is always active. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn, even while you’re resting. Fitness experts estimate that you burn 100 calories more per day, per every pound of muscle you gain. Gaining muscle can cause you to gain weight, and for a time it might even increase your size. But in time, with a healthy diet with cardio and weight training, you will lose both weight and size.
Women don’t need to worry about bulking up. It’s testosterone that causes muscles to bulk the way men’s often do, and the vast majority of women simply don’t have enough testosterone to make that happen. For those who do, and for men, there’s a solution: use lighter weights, and do more repetitions of the exercises. Begin by choosing a weight you can comfortably lift about 10 times in reps, with your muscles feeling fatigue at 12 reps. Gradually increase the weights as your strength increases, and you will build lean muscle mass.
If you don’t get the results you’re hoping for immediately, don’t get discouraged. Remember, too, that regardless of how you look or what the scale says, you are improving your health every time you work out.
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