Many individuals who want to slim down engage in an aerobic exercise such as running, cycling or using a stair climber to burn calories. However, this type of exercise can consume your muscle tissue over time and leave you looking overly skinny rather than thin and toned. A light weightlifting routine will help shape your body into a slim but strong appearance without gaining a muscular look.
Misconceptions
Some people, particularly women, may avoid weight training when trying to lose weight because they are worried about bulking up and appearing masculine. According to physiologist Joe Franco, this belief is a myth. Franco states that women have 10 to 30 times fewer hormones that cause muscle hypertrophy than men do. While a woman lifting weights will technically gain muscle fibers and become stronger, she is unlikely to gain noticeable mass from her efforts.
Circuit Training
Circuit training is a common weightlifting routine that can help you lose weight without building bulky muscles. A typical weightlifting program focuses on overloading your muscles to the point of exhaustion, thus promoting muscle growth. Circuit training dials down the resistance and focuses on moving quickly through a lot of repetitions to elevate your heart rate.
Select eight to 12 different exercises that work your entire body, such as bench press, biceps curls, triceps extensions and squats. Choose a resistance for each exercise that is moderately light and perform 10 to 20 repetitions in 30 to 90 seconds. Take no more than 30 seconds of rest between each exercise. To increase your fat loss while exercising, perform jumping jacks or another light cardiovascular exercise during your rest period. Fully repeat the circuit as many times as you can in 20 to 30 minutes.
Fat-Burning Boost
Using circuit training to increase the density of your muscle fibers will not only make you appear thinner, but it can also boost your metabolism and help you lose fat quicker. According to fitness expert Tom Venuto in IronMagazine.com, every ounce of lean muscle mass you put on your body will increase the amount of calories your body burns on a daily basis. This means that if you control your caloric intake, your toned body will begin to naturally consume your fat cells for energy.
Considerations
Though weightlifting can boost your fat loss without bulking you up, circuit training alone may not be enough to help you lose the weight you desire. It is recommended that you combine your weightlifting program with an aerobic workout and a healthy, calorie-controlled diet. This three-pronged approach to weight loss is the most effective way to burn fat. If you notice you are gaining too much muscle from your circuit training, cut back on the amount of weight you are lifting for the exercises and the number of times you are performing the routine each week.
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