Are you tired of spending endless hours on the treadmill or following a strict diet with no significant changes? If you’re searching for a “magic bullet” to lose fat and get lean, strength training could be your missing link.
While cardio and diet are important, dedicating just three to four hours per week to proper strength training can produce an array of benefits that will help you achieve your fitness goals. Let’s explore why strength training is the key to building muscle, maintaining a healthy metabolism, and ultimately achieving a lean body.
Building Strength & Muscle
Just like any exercise, strength training burns calories, but the real benefit comes from building strength and muscle.
When you lift weights or do bodyweight exercises, you’re putting stress on your muscles, which forces them to adapt and become stronger. As you continue to challenge yourself, you’ll build more muscle, which will help increase your metabolism and burn more calories at rest.
The benefits of building muscle go beyond just looking good. As you age, without consistent strength training, you could lose up to 20% of your muscle mass by the time you’re 50! This loss of muscle mass can lead to a slower metabolism and make it more challenging to maintain a healthy weight. But the good news is that this process can be reversed. By incorporating strength training into your routine, you can not only build muscle but also maintain it as you age.
Maintaining Muscle While Losing Fat
When it comes to losing weight, many people believe that they need to do endless hours of cardio and follow a restrictive diet. While this can help you lose weight in the short term, it can also cause you to lose muscle mass along with fat.
Losing muscle mass can lead to a slower metabolism, which means that your body burns fewer calories while at rest. This can make it more difficult to maintain your weight loss over time.
Fortunately, strength training can help you maintain your muscle mass while losing weight. By using resistance exercises to challenge your muscles, you send a signal to your body to preserve muscle while burning fat for energy. This helps to keep your metabolism up and ensures that you are losing weight in a way that is sustainable over the long term.
Benefits of Strength Training
All forms of exercise are good, but if you want the most bang for your buck, you should be engaging in some form of strength training at least three times per week. Here are just a few of the benefits you can expect:
- Increased muscle mass and strength
- Improved metabolism and calorie burn
- Reduced risk of injury
- Better posture and balance
- Increased bone density
- Improved mental health and mood
Getting Started
If you’re new to strength training, it can be intimidating to know where to start. The good news is that you can get started with a few simple bodyweight exercises like push-ups, squats, and lunges. These are an excellent way to get started and can be done anywhere.
When you’re ready to start working with weights, consider investing in a coach that will teach you proper form and keep you progressing safely.
Conclusion
By dedicating a few hours per week to proper strength training, you can build muscle, maintain a healthy metabolism, and improve your overall health and well-being.
If you’re ready to hit the weights and not sure where to start, we’re here to HELP!
Request a FREE consultation today.
