Lifting Weights to Lose Weight

Different schools of thought have their different beliefs. People, who want to lose weight, are often told by their trainers to concentrate on cardiovascular exercises in order to lose weight. As much as the cardiovascular exercises are important weight training can not be neglected. Lets find out more on lifting weights to lose weight.

Lifting Weights to Lose Weight - Why?
There are three main aspects of the weight loss process. They are weight training, cardiovascular training and diet. It is not healthy in greater interest to concentrate only on one aspect of it. To lose weight and to maintain the lost weight, you will have to give equal importance to all three of them. Let us get to know what are the benefits of lifting weights.

The first and foremost benefit of lifting weights to lose weight is, that it helps to increase metabolism. By lifting weight a person will build muscles. Muscles are known to burn more calories as compared to fat, which means more the muscles, more will be the fat burned. With the cardiovascular activity you will burn a number of calories, till you are working out, but with the weights you will continue to lose weights all day long, after you go back home from the gym as well. It is seen that women, who are into weight training, burn approximately 100 calories more, than the women, who are more into aerobic activity in the 24 hours preceding the workout. Know more about weight lifting.

Lifting weights to lose weight for women is especially important as it will help in strengthening the bones. Women are inherently known to have weaker bones as compared to men, which means the risk of osteoporosis and arthritis is decreased as well. Weight training helps in building muscular endurance and helps in making the women strong. The other added advantage is that it also helps in avoiding injuries. Strength training helps to improve coordination, balance and also self esteem.

According to a research, lifting weights to lose fat is essential. It is also said that women, who weight train two to three times a week, lose approximately 3.5 pounds of fat and increase 2 pounds of muscle. This in turn means, a person will lose overall body fat by about 3% in ten weeks, without making any significant change to their diet. Along with lifting weights to lose body fat, the woman will also be able to drop a dress size, approximately three inches off the waist and buttocks. Find more information about healthy weight loss.

Often we have heard people saying that weight training will cause the woman to bulk up. This is however not true. The reason behind that is the hormones. Studies suggest, that women have 10 to 30 times less hormones, which cause muscles to build up. Only if the woman is on hormones therapy, are there chances of she bulking up due to lifting weights. Else like I have said previously, among benefits of lifting weights, an important benefit is, it will make her drop a dress size as opposed to bulk up. You may want to know about losing weight.

It is said that weight training helps much better than counseling, while dealing with clinical depression. It only takes about 10 weeks of weight training to see the results. A Harvard study has found that woman who strength train regularly, have better confidence level than who do not. This also helps in the fight against depression. You may want to read on weight lifting for weight loss.

Tips on Lifting Weights for Weight Loss
Like I have previously mentioned, weight loss process has to be complete, with all types of exercises, concentrating on every part of the body. Combine weight lifting workouts with cardiovascular activity. This will help in giving you better results. Cardiovascular activity will help to increase muscle metabolism, while you are doing the activity and retain it for some time after the activity. Weight lifting will increase the muscle metabolism during the activity and for a longer period of time, after the activity. Cardiovascular activity will help in increasing the stamina and resistance training will help you to get leaner and stronger muscles and will also boost your stamina. Lower body compound exercises help a great deal in weight loss. Hence, make squats, lunges and circuit training, a part of your weight lifting workout plan. Alternating between lifting weights and cardiovascular activity in a workout schedule also works well in terms of weight loss.

When you start with lifting weights to lose weight, remember to warm up before you actually start with your weight lifting routine. As warm up is important, similarly a cool down is equally important, as it is during the cool down that the body integrates the workout, just undertaken. Never jerk when you lift or lower the weights. Jerking can cause permanent injury, therefore, it is better to be careful, than being sorry. Last but not the least, continue to breathe normally. Do not hold your breath.