Weightlifting, which is also known as resistance training, has been practised for centuries as a method of building muscular strength. Research demonstrates that resistance training – whether done via body weight, resistance bands or weight machines, dumbbells or free weights – not only assists us with building strength, but also improves muscle size. In addition, resistance training can help to counteract age-related muscle loss.
In recent times it’s become popular among those looking to lose weight and burn fat. While exercises such as running as well as cycling are indeed effective for reducing body fat, these activities can – at the same time – decrease muscle size, leading to weaker muscles in addition to greater perceived weight loss. This is as muscle is denser than fat. However, unlike endurance exercises, evidence demonstrates resistance training not only has beneficial effects on reducing body fat, but it also increases muscle size as well as strength.
Weight Training Assists You With Burning More Calories Every Day
Although a weight-training workout doesn’t usually burn as many calories as a cardio workout, it has other significant benefits. For instance, weight training is far more effective than cardio at building muscle. In addition, muscle burns more calories at rest than some other tissues, including fat.
Owing to this, it is commonly said that building muscle is the fundamental to increasing your resting metabolism. In other words, how many calories which you burn at rest. One recent study measured participants’ resting metabolisms throughout 24 weeks of resistance training. In men, resistance training led to a 9% rise in resting metabolism. The effects in women were smaller, with a rise of almost 4%.
While this might sound good, it’s very important to think about how many calories this represents:
- For the men, resting metabolism rose by about 140 calories per day.
- In women, it was just about 50 calories per day.
This means that weight training and building a little bit of muscle won’t make your metabolism skyrocket, however it may increase it by a small amount.
Weight Training Also Has Several Other Crucial Calorie-Burning Benefits
Specifically, research has demonstrated that you burn more calories in the hours following a weight training session as compared to a cardio workout. In fact, there are a number of reports of resting metabolism remaining elevated for up to 38 hours after weight training, while no similar increase has been reported with cardio. This means that the calorie-burning advantages of weights aren’t limited to when you are exercising. You may keep on burning calories for hours or days afterward. For most kinds of exercise, a more intense workout will increase the number of calories you burn afterward.
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
If you are keen on learning more about resistance training and possibly even becoming a personal trainer, then you certainly need to do our Personal Training Diploma. Follow this link to find out more.
