To put it simply if you want to lose fat and transform your body, lifting weights is absolutely key. Nutrition and cardio are also important, but to achieve the lean athletic look, weight training is vital.
So why weight training?
Well if you are interested in achieving any of the following you will need to start a weight training program:
- Increase strength.
- Lose Weight.
- Speeding up your metabolism which in turn leads to burning fat.
- Enhance your ability to perform day to day tasks.
- Have better balance and coordination.
- Decrease your risk of injuries.
- Boost your confidence.
- Increase your bone strength.
Starting a weight training program can be daunting. People have visions of massively oiled up and shaved down bodybuilders. These visions promote a fear that if you train with weights, you will end up looking like a bulked up muscle machine.
The truth is this is just a misconception. There are a number of reasons why this is a misconception, but to keep it simple it is a matter of with basic science.
If you don't eat a surplus of calories, then in simple terms you won't gain weight and look bulky. It is no different for males or females, your body doesn't magically make muscle while you are lifting weights.
Weight training is the stimulus or stress on your body, you are actually breaking down muscle while you are lifting weight (at a microscopic level).
So why weight training?
Well if you are interested in achieving any of the following you will need to start a weight training program:
- Increase strength.
- Lose Weight.
- Speeding up your metabolism which in turn leads to burning fat.
- Enhance your ability to perform day to day tasks.
- Have better balance and coordination.
- Decrease your risk of injuries.
- Boost your confidence.
- Increase your bone strength.
Starting a weight training program can be daunting. People have visions of massively oiled up and shaved down bodybuilders. These visions promote a fear that if you train with weights, you will end up looking like a bulked up muscle machine.
The truth is this is just a misconception. There are a number of reasons why this is a misconception, but to keep it simple it is a matter of with basic science.
If you don't eat a surplus of calories, then in simple terms you won't gain weight and look bulky. It is no different for males or females, your body doesn't magically make muscle while you are lifting weights.
Weight training is the stimulus or stress on your body, you are actually breaking down muscle while you are lifting weight (at a microscopic level).
Your body's response to this stimulation/stress is to repair the muscle and grow more muscle in order to be better prepared next time that sort of stress is placed on it again.
Now in very basic terms, you body needs a surplus of calories to grow more muscle. So if you are only eating a maintenance level of calories you will not add to your body weight and you will not become too bulky. Again this principle is no different for males or female.
After reading this you might be wondering, if your goal isn't to get muscular and bulky, then what is the point of weight training. Good question.
The point is weight training will change you body composition as it has a drastic ability to speed up your metabolism.
Through correct weight training you can remain the same body weight but you can significantly reduce your body fat percentage whilst at the same time increase you lean muscle mass.
The end result is that you will look leaner and your actually body measurements will have reduced in areas of your body that typically store fat.
A primary example of this is myself, over the last 2 years, my body weight has only varied about 1-2kgs, however in that time I have increased my lean muscle mass and decreased my body fat levels from about 18% to 10% and my waist measurement has gone from 92cm to 81cm.
It is this increase in lean muscle mass that speeds your metabolism up. It takes your body more calories to support muscle than it does fat, so the more lean muscle mass you have the greater amount of calories your body needs to burn to support itself.
Even when you are sitting still you body is burning more calories, than that of a person who has less muscle mass than you.
For people that are trying to loss weight my advice is that weight training is probably the best form of training to transform you body shape due to these reasons.
But where to start? It can be confusing, just Google weight training and you will be flooded with articles and programs promising mind blowing results.
The program you choose should be based on you fitness goals, what equipment you have available to you and how it will fit into your lifestyle.
Now in very basic terms, you body needs a surplus of calories to grow more muscle. So if you are only eating a maintenance level of calories you will not add to your body weight and you will not become too bulky. Again this principle is no different for males or female.
After reading this you might be wondering, if your goal isn't to get muscular and bulky, then what is the point of weight training. Good question.
The point is weight training will change you body composition as it has a drastic ability to speed up your metabolism.
Through correct weight training you can remain the same body weight but you can significantly reduce your body fat percentage whilst at the same time increase you lean muscle mass.
The end result is that you will look leaner and your actually body measurements will have reduced in areas of your body that typically store fat.
A primary example of this is myself, over the last 2 years, my body weight has only varied about 1-2kgs, however in that time I have increased my lean muscle mass and decreased my body fat levels from about 18% to 10% and my waist measurement has gone from 92cm to 81cm.
It is this increase in lean muscle mass that speeds your metabolism up. It takes your body more calories to support muscle than it does fat, so the more lean muscle mass you have the greater amount of calories your body needs to burn to support itself.
Even when you are sitting still you body is burning more calories, than that of a person who has less muscle mass than you.
For people that are trying to loss weight my advice is that weight training is probably the best form of training to transform you body shape due to these reasons.
But where to start? It can be confusing, just Google weight training and you will be flooded with articles and programs promising mind blowing results.
The program you choose should be based on you fitness goals, what equipment you have available to you and how it will fit into your lifestyle.
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