Every day, there seems to be a "new" breakthrough in the fitness industry about the best way to lose weight. However, the most successful weight loss programs incorporate strength and cardiovascular training; what is better is doing these two things at the same time. Doing low-weight, high-rep workouts can help you not only lose weight but also increase your lean muscle mass.
Cardiovascular Effect
If you are performing your strength workouts with a light enough weight that you are able to perform more than 15 reps at a time, you will also elicit a cardiovascular response during your strength workout. Combining strength training with cardiovascular training can help you reach your weight loss goals faster than doing one or the other.
Effect on Body Composition
The Harvard School of Public Health notes that strength training increases lean muscle mass, decreases body fat and increases your resting metabolic rate, which is the amount of calories you burn a day at rest. Remember that a pound of muscle and a pound of fat weigh the same, however, it is the volume difference that matters. While strength training you may notice at times that you are not losing weight, but your clothes are fitting looser; this is because you are displacing muscle mass with fat mass, and muscle takes up less room than fat.
Understanding Body Composition
Having a healthy body composition is very different than being at a healthy weight. In fact, a seemingly healthy weight person can actually have a high body fat and vice versa. Rather than being concerned about how much you weigh, concern yourself with your body fat percentage. A healthy body fat for men is between 10 percent and 25 percent, while a healthy body fat for women is between 18 and 30 percent. As a male, if your body fat is greater than 25 percent and as a female over 30 percent, you are considered obese, regardless of your weight.
Low-Rep Workouts
Lower rep, increased weight workouts can help you get stronger and build muscle. However, doing low-rep strength training alone will not help you lose weight. If you choose to do low-rep workouts, make sure you incorporate a cardiovascular training aspect into your workout as well.
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