Weight loss is one of the most common health and fitness goals. Many individuals focus on diet and cardiovascular exercise alone to meet this goal. However, resistance training may be one of the most effective ways to improve body composition. There are a few weight lifting program guidelines to follow to be on your way to quick and sustained weight loss.
Use Your Whole Body
Many individuals make the mistake of trying to target separate body parts with many different exercises. Targeting exercises are not very good at raising your metabolic rate. If you want to burn more calories, try total body, multi-joint exercises such as the back squat, deadlift or standing overhead press. These exercises are far more challenging, yielding better weight loss results in less time.
Exercise Frequently
Weight loss is all about burning calories. So, if you want to achieve quicker results, exercise frequently. Research by Dr. F. Buck Willis, published in the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research" in 2009, has shown that those lifting weights at least four days per week lose more body fat than those exercising less frequently. To begin, perform weight training four days per week, with one day between workouts to help ensure proper recovery.
Use the Correct Resistance
Muscle tissue is very metabolically active. The more of it that you have, the more calories you will burn. Therefore, your primary resistance-training goal should be to increase muscle mass. During exercise, warm up and then perform three sets of five to six repetitions at about 80 percent of your capacity. For example, if you are able to squat 100 pounds once, try 80 pounds for your sets. This loading has been shown to be most effective at building muscle, according to a 2004 study led by Dr. Andrew C. Fry, published in the journal "Sports Medicine."
Give Circuit Training a Try
Lifting heavy weights should be done one to two times per week. On other days, mix it up and give circuit training a try. The main characteristic of this style of training is that several different exercises are done at the same time with minimal rest between sets. Select three to five total-body exercises. You will perform 10 to 15 repetitions on the first exercise, then rotate to the next exercise. After you do one set on each exercise, your first round will be complete. Try to perform two to three rounds. Over time, you can increase the difficulty of your circuit by using heavier weights, reducing rest time between exercise or increasing the repetitions.
Be Patient
While resistance training is very effective, optimal results take patience. When you first begin exercising, allow your body some time to adapt. Once you are comfortable with exercise technique and the workload, slowly increase the intensity of your workouts on a weekly basis. Modest increases are best to safely reach your weight-loss goals.
References
- "Frequency of Exercise for Body Fat Loss: A Controlled, Cohort Study"; Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research; F. Buck Willis; 2009
- "The Role of Resistance Exercise Intensity on Muscle Fibre Adaptations"; Sports Medicine; A.C. Fry; 2004
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