Weight Lifting for Weight Loss

If you want to lose weight, workouts and controlled diet is the answer to the problem. The workouts should have a balance of cardiovascular workout and weight training. It has been noticed, that the muscle mass helps to burn calories than the fat mass. Free weights, resistance training and weight machines help in building muscle tissue, promoting weight loss. Weight training is the best tool to negate effects of muscle loss due to age.

It is a general belief that if a woman does weight training, she might build up some muscle. This is not true, as women do not have the testosterone levels required to build muscles. But in case a woman is indeed taking testosterone supplements, then muscle buildup is a possibility. Or if she is working out with weight machines every day for 2-3 hours, she may have muscle build up.

To make the best use of weight lifting for weight loss, its always better to increase the number of sets, than increasing the number of repetitions per set. The more number of sets, with less repetitions, ensure that there is no muscle loss and the muscle will stay put through the entire cycle of weight loss. More number of sets with less repetitions target the fat mass, thus helping in weight loss. The major benefit of this will be seen once the ideal weight has been achieved, and the weight maintenance phase begins. The muscle will ensure, that daily calorie intake is burnt off and they do not add weight to the body.

Free weight training is more helpful than the machine weight training. Free weights target more number of muscle groups, than the machine workout. It has been observed, that the machine weights target only one muscle group. For example, when leg curls are done using a machine, it only works the back of the thigh muscle. But on the other hand, if squats are done using free weight, it works out the quadriceps, the hip muscle, and the back of the thigh muscle. Hence, free weights are suggested for weight loss.

Weight lifting has double benefits. It ascertains weight loss and also helps in toning up the muscles.

In the traditional weight loss regime, the trainers concentrated on cardiovascular workout. But the effect of cardiovascular workouts lasts for approximately an hour to about 6 hours. On the other hand, weight lifting workout has effects lasting for 24 hours.

In case, cardiovascular workout and weight lifting has to be done on the same day, weight lifting should be followed by cardiovascular workout and not vice-versa. This ensures, that enough strength is used to do the weight lifts. Normally, cardiovascular workout tires out the body, which can be a hindrance, if weight lifting is done after cardiovascular workout. Hence, to achieve the expected result, weight training should be followed by cardiovascular workout.

Weight lifting has a few benefits, other than helping in weight loss. They include, increasing the bone density, strengthening of weak bone joints and the achievement of slimmer looks. The long term benefit is against osteoporosis.

While choosing a weight lifting program, care should be taken that all muscle groups are worked out on the weight lifting days. Weight lifting can be ideally done thrice a week. Although, two weight training sessions a week give the desired results, it is suggested, there should be a gap of 48 hours between two weight training sessions.

Studies have proved that with increasing age, a person loses about half to one pound of lean tissue mass every year. This loss can be arrested, although only up to a certain extent, with the help of weight training. As already noted above, muscle tissue burns the maximum amount of calories. If they are lost, weight will pile up.