One way to lose fat and keep it off is to incorporate strength training into your routine. Strength training can give you the muscle you need to crank up your metabolism and burn more calories, even when you are at rest. If you lose weight without adding muscle, there's a real good chance that weight will come back, plus some.
Step 1
Find a trainer. If you are new to strength training, get a few sessions with a qualified trainer. They can provide you with a program based on your goals and current fitness level. For instance, they may suggest a two-day split where you train upper body one day and lower the next. They may recommend lat pulldowns for your back muscles and leg extensions for your quads. This is the quickest and safest way to learn how to lift weights. You'll get much better results if you learn to exercise properly. Plus, you'll have a balanced workout that challenges each muscle group appropriately to avoid muscular imbalances that can lead to injury and joint pain. They'll also advise you on the proper starting weights to use and how to increase the intensity as you go.
Step 2
Hit the gym. Whether the gym is in your home or in a fancy health club doesn't matter. Strength train often, regularly and consistently. A workout here or there is better than nothing, but the results won't be satisfactory. The effects of strength training are cumulative. The more consistently you strength train, the quicker your body will respond by shedding excess fat.
An example of a weekly workout would be upper body on Monday, lower body on Tuesday, cardio on Wednesday, upper body on Thursday, lower body on Friday, cardio on Saturday, rest on Sunday. The amount of weight you use will vary with each muscle group. For a bicep curl, try 5 or 8 pounds. Do three sets of 10 and shoot for an intensity level of 7 to 8.
Step 3
Measure yourself. Not only will you start to lose weight, but the inches will disappear. Muscle weighs more than fat, but is much more compact. Sometimes the real results are measured in inches, rather than pounds. It will also show you exactly where you are losing and where your stubborn spots may be. Seeing that you are losing inches is a real motivator. Know that losing weight is not a straight line and there will be many ups and downs along the way. Plateaus are to be expected. Stay the course and remind yourself that you are getting healthier every day.
Tips and Warnings
- Pace yourself, but challenge yourself as well. Some women have a tendency to try to do too much too fast, while others don't realize how strong they really are and therefore don't lift enough. Listen to your body, and try to get the intensity up to a level 8. That means when you are finished exercising a muscle group, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 meaning you couldn't possibly do another rep, you should be at an 8. Realize that you will be sore. Know that the soreness means calories are being burned as your body attempts to heal and rebuild your muscles.
- If you have any health concerns, check with your health care provider before starting a strength training program.
References
- "Scultping Her Body Perfect"; Brad Schoenfeld; 2000
- "Making the Cut"; Jillian Michaels; 2007
- American Council on Exercise: How Women Build Muscle
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