How Can I Lose Weight With Weight Training?
Weight loss programs have long pushed intense cardio exercises as the single way to reach your goals. And for women especially, it was once taboo to venture away from the gym’s treadmill and elliptical stations. But that narrative is changing, and the reality is, weight training for weight loss can get you where you want to be, faster—and even make your results more sustainable, says Chad Barribeau, B.S., C.S.C.S., a field support director for D1 Training. Keep reading to learn more about weight exercises for weight loss, including the best moves for beginners, must-have equipment, and how exactly pumping iron works to help you lose weight.
Why weight training for weight loss works: Weight training, also known as strength training or resistance training, is any exercise using weighted objects “like dumbbells, barbells, or weight machines” that increases muscle mass and strength, explains Amanda Capritto, C.P.T., ACE-certified personal trainer and writer at Garage Gym Reviews. You can also practice weight training using your own body weight.
Strength training aids weight loss by building muscle mass, which is more metabolically active than fat tissue, Capritto explains. The more muscle you build, the higher your resting metabolic rate rises, and “the more calories you can burn while you sleep, walk, work, or sit on the couch,” Capritto adds.
Excerpted from Prevention
