Want to Slim Down? Try Strength Training.

Looking to slim down for summer? Struggling to lose those last few pounds? You know getting cardiovascular exercise is critical to losing weight and getting in shape. But there’s an essential component of weight management that many Americans overlook: strength training.

Strength training (or resistance training, as you may hear it called) isn’t just for bodybuilders and fitness buffs! Not only is strength training  one of the three elements of a healthy fitness routine (as recommended by the American Council on Exercise), but adding some resistance to our workouts is especially important if we’re looking to lose weight. Here’s why:

Increase Caloric Burn

It may feel like weight training doesn’t burn as many calories as cardio, and so doesn’t provide us with the most bang for our workout buck. However, strength training can rev up your metabolism, and help you burn more calories throughout the day than you would with cardio alone.

Simply put, your body has to burn calories to in order to maintain muscles. According to WebMD, ten pounds of muscle in the body burns more than twice as many calories as ten pounds of fat.

Certified trainer and founder of New York’s Cardio Sweat Party Michelle Gordon summed it in an interview with Women’s Health Magazine:

“The more muscle you have, the more energy your body expends. The more muscle you build from resistance training, the more fat you’ll burn all day long. Cardio alone will not have the same impact as it would if coupled with resistance training.”

 

Tone Up Faster

Cardio can help you burn calories, but if you want definition, you’ll need to show your muscles some love. As Livestrong says,

“For a toned physique, you need tight, defined muscles, which means hitting the gym for some resistance training. Cardio may be the way many choose to lose weight, but making weight training a mainstay in your gym routine can complement your cardio routine and will lead to faster results both in terms of weight loss and toning.”

 

Balance Those Muscles

Doing the same cardio activity over and over means we only use the same muscles over and over. The same goes for any activity we perform repeatedly or for long periods of time (like sitting or standing in the same position all day at work). This can foster imbalances in muscle strength, causing stress on our joints and ligaments. This stress leads nagging pains or injury, which can keep us from being active.

The American Council on Exercise tells us, “if you experience the same injuries over and over, or you notice a lingering soreness that doesn’t go away, it could mean that you have muscle imbalances that are affecting how your joints move.”

Using strength exercises to target the muscles you don’t use heavily during your cardio workouts or your workday can help keep your body from being heavily imbalanced in any one area. That balanced strength can keep the joints from being stressed, thereby reducing pain and chances of injury. And if we’re not bogged down by pain, we’re much more likely to stick to an active routine.

If you’re not sure where to start or what muscles to target in your strength workouts, try scheduling a session with a physical therapist or personal trainer.

 

Worried About Bulking Up?

Scared that strength training will make you too muscular? If you’re female, think again. The International Sports Science Association notes that most women’s bodies simply can’t produce the testosterone required to sculpt bulging, bodybuilder-style muscles.

 

“Don’t think that just because you lift heavy and workout hard that you’ll end up looking like a professional woman bodybuilder,” says trainer and ISSA contributor Beverly Paquin. “99.9% of the time, you won’t.”

 

Additional Benefits

If increasing your metabolism, toning up, and balancing your body aren’t enough reasons to add strength training to your routine, consider that a strength routine can also:

 

• Help maintain bone density
• Help improve your sleep
• Improve cognitive function
• Improve self-confidence and body image

 

It’s clear that if you’re interested in reaping the full benefits of exercise, adding a few strength-building workouts into your routine is a must.

 

Getting Started

 

Not sure how to start with a strength training routine? Remember a few things:

 

• Shoot for 2-3 weekly strength training sessions to complement your regular cardio activity.
• Always warm up before you start.

  

• Form is critical. If you can schedule a session or two with a trainer or physical therapist to get pointers on your strength training form, do it! Regardless, research proper form for the exercises you want to do and use a mirror to make sure you’re moving correctly.
• Strengthening your body isn’t just about pumping iron. There are plenty of body weight exercises you can do at home to build muscle.
• Pace yourself. Start by using your body weight or light weights, and work up to adding heavier weights or resistance bands.
• Try compound exercises to get the most tone for your time. These exercises recruit several major muscle groups at once, and can help improve coordination and balance, to boot! PopSugar provides a list of basic compound exercises, and a quick Google search will give you plenty of advanced options.
• Always cool down and stretch out to finish your workout.

 

Additional Resources

American Council on Exercise: Strength Training 101

Fitness Magazine: Strength Training for Beginners

PopSugar: 30-Minute Strength Training Workout For Beginners

Fitness Blender: 32-Minute Bodyweight Workout

 

Disclaimer: As always, we encourage readers to consult with a medical or fitness professional before starting a new workout routine.