Fitness Tip of the Week #13 Are You Doing Resistance Training?

A large percentage of people sign up for gym memberships are doing so in order to lose weight. I see so many ads on the Internet that all have a secret formula, diet, or whatever it may be to lose weight. They even have a reality TV show dedicated to weight loss. Well, since it seems to be so popular, I thought I would give any of you who may have weight loss as a goal of yours a helpful tip that you can start to incorporate into your overall weight loss plan.

A typical response to this simple tip goes like this: I don’t want to bulk up; I just want to be thinner. As you may have guessed, this is a response to weight training, or resistance training. The problem with it is, the goal should be fat loss, not necessarily weight loss. Lots of gym-goers who are trying to lose weight stick primarily to cardio machines, and avoid doing most types of resistance training. A big fear is that they will put on weight they are trying to lose. Doing a moderate amount of proper resistance training will not turn you into the next Mr. Universe. As an athlete, I have done years of weight training, and I am not some huge guy with muscles growing on top of muscles. When done correctly, weight training supplies extra stimulus to muscles that actually increase your muscles ability to use energy and burn calories; calories that would normally be stored away as fat.

So, if you do not already do some sort of resistance training, try coming up with a program. You do not need to go use a bunch of fancy equipment, lift gigantic weights, and will not bulk up and get huge. You will be stronger, burn more calories, and feel better overall. The point that I must stress though is this: Resistance training must be done correctly. Check out some of our strength training philosophy posts to learn more about lifting and resistance training to get the most out of it for your body.

See you next week,

Loren Sheets