Lift to Lose . Cardio vs. Weights . part VI

October 7, 2012

If you want to get leaner, step away from the treadmill. I have been preaching this for the past six weeks but if you still aren’t certain, the latest studies and smartest trainers agree with me. It’s time to hit the weights!

Many gym goers, and even some health and fitness professionals, still believe that strength training is only for people who want to gain weight in the form of shirt-stretching muscles, and that long-duration exercise like running and cycling is the fastest way to lose fat. Wicked smart trainers (like Me) believe otherwise.

Real life experience and the latest fitness research suggest that low to moderate aerobic exercise, while beneficial (Read Muscles & Metabolism, August ##, 12), is not the fastest route to leanness and overall health that many people believe it is. The real key to fat loss is weight/strength training, real sweat and real effort.

The results may have little to do with what the scale tells you. Your weight may go down, stay the same, or even go up a bit. Your shape, however, will change dramatically. Do you want to hit a number on the scale, or do you want to be leaner, more athletic, and able to fit into your clothes better? Nobody asks for a ‘mushy’ body!

The numerous studies have demonstrated conclusively that weight and strength training, in conjunction with good nutrition, burns fat much more effectively than dieting alone and dieting in conjunction with aerobic exercise.

By itself, body weight is a poor measure of fitness. If you gain muscle and lose fat, you’ll be fitter, but the scale might tell you you’re heavier. Lose muscle and gain fat, and you’ll be fatter, but the scale might read lighter?

True fitness is about performance. (get it FIT Human Performance!) Regarless of your weight, it’s generally more effective to set goals based on what you can do rather than what you weigh. You may settle into an “ideal” weight that’s a few pounds more, or less, than you originally expected. If you look and feel great, who cares?

In good health,

Bob

 ‘There’s 1440 minutes in a day. Use 30 of them to workout.’