Calories Burned & Muscle Mass Gained During Weight Lifting Exercises

Calories Burned & Muscle Mass Gained During Weight Lifting Exercises
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Your pulse, also known as your heart rate, is the amount of times your heart beats per minute. Your heart rate will increase when lifting weights, and you can burn calories and develop muscle mass during anaerobic exercise. A regular strength training program can help you efficiently reduce body fat, increase lean muscle mass and burn calories.

Calories

A calorie is a unit of energy, according to KidsHealth.org. Your body requires calories for energy and to function properly. Calories are received from the food you eat and drinks you consume. Unfortunately, if you don't burn them off through physical activity, the remaining calories are converted to fat and can lead to weight gain. Excessive fat can greatly enhance the likelihood you will develop a disease or suffer from other serious health issues.

Weight Lifting Exercises

Weight lifting, also referred to as anaerobic exercise, is intensive physical exertion that produces muscle mass through tension and resistance. Anaerobic exercises include lifting free weights, like barbells or dumbbells, and using strength machines. Strength machines are designed with pulleys or levers to allow you to concentrate on a specific muscle. Conversely, free weights work a group of muscles without constraint. Muscles will stretch and then compress when you lift a heavy weight. These motions create microscopic tears in your muscles. Your muscles will naturally recover from the trauma and emerge bigger and stronger.

Gaining Muscle Mass

Maintaining a nutritious diet and consistently engaging in weightlifting workouts can help you gain muscle mass. However, you need to understand that gaining muscle mass takes time and dedication. GainingMuscleMass.net recommends you attempt to add brawn in a slow and natural way to reduce the risk of injury or developing an unhealthy body.

Calories Burned Training

Wayne Wescott , Ph.D. is the director of research at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts. Wescott was quoted in WomensHealthMag.com saying you can burn eight to 10 calories a minute by lifting weights. Anaerobic exercises can also bolster your metabolic rate and help you shed an extra 25 percent of the calories that have already burnt. "If you burned 200 calories lifting weights, it's really closer to 250 overall," said Westcott. This occurs because your body continues to work after completing a weightlifting session in an attempt to repair the muscle fibers that were damaged during training.

Warning

Consult with a doctor or physician prior to embarking on a new fitness regimen. A professional health care provider can establish a sound exercise plan specifically for your needs and goals. Weightlifting can be grueling and it is not the type of exercise you should perform without proper preparation.

References

Article reviewed by Jen Raskin Last updated on: Apr 11, 2011

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