The old fashioned exercise prescription for losing weight was countless hours doing some sort of long duration, single mode, low intensity activity and rarely included strength training exercise. But we know a lot more about the best way to lose weight now and running around in circles doing ineffective exercise regimes is not one of them.
First, let us define some basic reasons related to why strength training exercise can rebuild and re-tone weak muscle tissue which is the secret to fat loss. To get to the very heart of the matter we need to look at the composition of our body (muscle/fat ratio) which tells us exactly how much lean body weight (muscle, bones, organs etc) and our fat ratio – which is how much body fat we carry.
To become lean we need a good level of fat burning muscle tissue and a lower percentage of body fat. If you are overweight this is likely to be the other way around. People who have become overweight often claim that they have a slow metabolism (the body’s engine) and that is the reason they cannot lose weight and continue to steadily gain weight. And they are probably right.
If you have been doing the wrong type of exercise or even no proper exercise at all your muscle tissue will have weakened and become un-toned. As muscle tissue makes up to 50 percent of our body weight this scenario then drops down the metabolic rate which means you are burning less fuel (calories) than you should be every single minute of the day and night. You can see how this would prevent fat loss and in fact foster weight gain.
So the strategy we use to correct this means we focus on rebuilding and boosting our metabolism for long-term fat loss and to put the brakes on further weight gain. Strength training exercise is the only type of exercise that can do this, but you do not need much of it to have a positive effect on the condition and health of your muscular system.
Just 2-3 sessions each week with some effort put into them is what is needed to get your body back into fat burning mode and out of fat storing mode. If you are new to this type of exercise get yourself some help from your local gym or fitness center. This is what they specialize in and will put you quickly on the right track so the time you spend is efficient and effective.
The difference between what we used to believe worked to what we believe works now is that we used to only be focused on what happened during an exercise session. Now we focus on doing what is going to give us better results after the exercise session is over for a more permanent solution.
Get your metabolism back in tip-top condition and put your overweight condition behind you. You will end up with a stronger, leaner, healthier, better shaped body that no amount of low intensity activity can ever give you. Proper strength training exercise is truly the missing link for fat loss so get yourself started and enjoy the many benefits.
