How Resistance Training Can Increase Your Metabolism and Help You Lose Weight
When it comes to losing weight, most people focus on cardio exercises like running, cycling, or swimming. But did you know that resistance training or strength training is an even more beneficial way to increase your metabolism and help with weight loss?
Resistance training involves using weights or resistance bands to challenge your muscles and improve their strength and endurance. This type of exercise not only helps build muscle mass, but it also increases your metabolism, which is the rate at which your body burns calories (calories = energy).
Here's how resistance training can help you lose weight:
1. Builds Muscle Mass
Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn at rest. Resistance training is a great way to build and maintain muscle mass while losing body fat. Plus, with more muscle, you'l look leaner and more toned.
2. Increases Basal Metabolic Rate
Resistance training can also increase your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the number of calories your body burns at rest. One study found that a 16-week resistance training program led to a 7% increase in BMR, which equates to burning an extra 125 calories per day for a 140-pound person. Over time, this can add up and help with weight loss.
3. Improves Insulin Sensitivity
Resistance training has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, which is how well your body responds to insulin and regulates blood sugar levels. When you have better insulin sensitivity, your body can better use carbohydrates for energy instead of storing them as fat. This can also help with weight loss and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
4. Burns Calories During and After Exercise
While resistance training may not burn as many calories during exercise as cardio, it still burns a significant amount. Plus, the muscle-building and repairing process that follows resistance training requires energy (i.e. calories), which means you'll continue to burn calories after your workout is over.
So how can you incorporate resistance training into your weight loss regimen? Here are a few tips:
Do a resistance training workout 2-5 days a week.
Prioritize compound movements vs isolation movements. Compound movements work more muscles at once and force your body to expend more while building strength. This is a better bang for buck. Squats over bicep curls any day.
Use any form of resistance from bodyweight, resistance bands, dumbbells, etc.
In conclusion, resistance training should be a staple in any weight loss regimen. By building muscle mass, increasing basal metabolic rate, improving insulin sensitivity, and burning calories during and after exercise, resistance training can help you lose body fat and improve your overall health. Give it a try and witness the benefits your body will go through!
References
Greer BK, O'Brien J, Hornbuckle LM, Panton LB. EPOC Comparison Between Resistance Training and High-Intensity Interval Training in Aerobically Fit Women. Int J Exerc Sci. 2021 Aug 1;14(2):1027-1035. PMID: 34567357; PMCID: PMC8439678.
Abboud, George J.1; Greer, Beau K.2; Campbell, Sara C.3; Panton, Lynn B.4. Effects of Load-Volume on EPOC After Acute Bouts of Resistance Training in Resistance-Trained Men. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 27(7):p 1936-1941, July 2013. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3182772eed
Westcott, Wayne L. PhD. Resistance Training is Medicine: Effects of Strength Training on Health. Current Sports Medicine Reports 11(4):p 209-216, July/August 2012. | DOI: 10.1249/JSR.0b013e31825dabb8