Weight Loss - Why Weights Work

How Weight Training will get you Weight Loss and Toning Results

Yes you read right – you will get weight loss and toning results from a specific weight training programme. This is because muscle cells are calorie crunching machines, so any activity that builds muscle will increase your metabolism, leading to optimal weight loss and toning results.

Why Weights Work for Weight Loss

The key to weight loss and toning is to increase your Basal Metabolic Rate (B.M.R.), the number of calories your body burns at rest over 24 hours. Increasing your lean muscle mass will increase your body’s daily energy requirements, leading to a higher B.M.R. and greater use of fat reserves as a fuel source (assuming your calorie intake remains constant).  

Often women in particular will avoid using weights because of concerns about bulking up. Fortunately there is nothing to worry about as women generally only store a small quantity of testosterone, the hormone responsible for increasing muscle mass. This means any muscle growth will be gradual and only visible as improved tone and definition around your stomach, arms, thighs and hips. Now that sounds pretty good to me!

Men on the other hand can easily adapt their programme to manipulate their body’s response. If you are concerned about having to fork out for a new wardrobe because your shirts are getting tight around the chest and arms, have a word to your trainer about how you can change your programme.

But I heard for weight loss and toning results, I have to do hours of cardio!

The old school of thought suggested that slogging it out on the cardio equipment was the only way to burn off that excess weight. The problem with this is that aerobic activities teach your body to become energy efficient, meaning your body learns how to minimise calorie expenditure. The more aerobic activity you do the more calorie-conscious your body becomes, progressively accomplishing the same amount of work while burning less calories.

Additionally, for most people it’s difficult to maintain a high enough level of intensity for the prolonged period they need to achieve the results they are after. Most people end up losing focus as boredom sets in, drifting off rather than focusing on their workout. The benefits of resistance training is that it is varied, interesting, efficient and best of all – it gets you results!

Challenge Yourself!

For optimal weight loss and toning results, muscle must grow. For this to happen, your body needs to be challenged through a specifically structured weight training programme. Additional muscle tissue not only helps you become stronger making daily activities easier to accomplish, it also has an important long-term advantage: muscle burns calories all day, every day, even when you are resting. Over the course of a year that little extra muscle can help you burn thousands of additional calories, inevitably resulting in weight loss and toning results over time. Contact us to get more information on weight loss and toning results through weight training.