Why You Shouldn’t Avoid Strength Training While Losing Weight

There is a HUGE misconception that you shouldn’t lift weights if you’re trying to lose weight because it’s counterproductive and will stunt your results… This couldn’t be further from the truth!

Strength training can be extremely beneficial for fat loss. Why? Because it builds lean muscle, increases the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), and speeds up your metabolism. Yes, cardiovascular exercise is probably a better option for general caloric expenditure during the workout—the keyword being ‘during’. Strength training is universally more effective at burning total calories and overall fat.

Let me break it down… By increasing muscle mass, you increase BMR. A higher BMR equates to more calories being burned within the 24-48 hour space.

But how does this help for weight loss? By building lean muscle and increasing your BMR, you inevitably burn more calories at rest throughout the day AND increase your overall caloric deficit, which is known as Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) and is a necessity for weight loss.

Look at it this way: during aerobic, cardiovascular workouts, it’s widely accepted that more calories are burned compared to a typical strength training workout of the same duration. While you may certainly be losing weight doing cardio, the difference is that you’re also losing a proportionate amount of muscle at the same time. It also can slow down your metabolism rather than speed it up. This is detrimental if you’re trying to lose weight.

The optimal weight loss plan is to increase the intensity by implementing a consistent strength training regimen consisting of weight-bearing exercises in conjunction with aerobic activity.

(Oh, and don’t forget about your diet as well! Stay tuned for my next blog on choosing a diet that is right for you)