Weight Training For Fat Loss Not Muscle Building

By Russ Howe


If you have ever asked someone to explain how to burn body fat, the chances are slim that weight training came up in the list of responses.

But body fat is indeed one of the first things to go into overdrive when weight training is used consistently and properly.

Those who are keen gym enthusiasts may already know this, but the majority of gym goers have no idea and often miss out on the many benefits hiding within resistance training because they mistakenly believe it's not for them. However, several key studies show weight based training to be even better than aerobic exercise for burning calories.

H.I.R.T. is the name given to the style of resistance training we will be discussing today. This is not pretty, but it is very effective!

Usually, when somebody finds out that weights do indeed eliminate body fat they run to the gym with ideas of fitness classes and hundreds of reps. That's not the case. While these classes are weights based, the resistance levels used are so low that it effectively turns into a cardio session. H.I.R.T. is based around heavy lifting.

Whenever we lift weights we create an anabolic response which tells the body to use carbohydrates as our main fuel source during training.

Now, you could see that as a disadvantage if your main goal is fat loss - why wouldn't you want to burn fat as your primary fuel?

The whole process is known as E.P.O.C. or the after burn effect. By using carbs to fuel our hard gym work, the body then becomes very protective of our few remaining carb stores while we refuel after a workout. But it must burn something in order to help the body continue to function. That's when we switch to losing body fat!

While aerobic exercise uses fat as it's primary fuel, you stop burning calories at an accelerated rate when you stop training. However, intense lifting uses carbs as it's main fuel during the session then switches to burning fat for twelve to sixteen hours after the session!

Wondering how to encourage more fat loss by adopting this training approach with your existing fitness routine?



It's beauty is in it's simplicity. Or rather, it's simple to explain - it's not simple to do! The first step is to look at what other people are doing when they train with weights at your local gym. The chances are, they will lift for eight to ten repetitions then rest for a couple of minutes before repeating the process. This is pretty standard gym behavior.

But it is not H.I.R.T. and it is not the most effective training style for fat loss.

High intensity resistance training involves reducing rest periods but keeping your training hard and heavy. Pair compound lifts together and work through sets of three of four moves in one circuit. You'll get more done in your session than those taking vast rest periods after every set, and you will notice significantly greater fat loss results in the weeks which follow.

The myth that cardio is for weight loss and weight lifting is for bodybuilding should no longer plague gyms across the country. Yet it does. In discovering the numerous pieces of scientific research which prove just how effective weight training can be for burning unwanted body fat, you now find yourself in the minority of gym users who can use this knowledge to your advantage.




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