July 10
Build Muscle to Burn Fat
Lets face it, burning off fat is one of the hardest things to do but also the primary goal for a majority of people who regularly work out. Everyone wants to look a little slimmer and be more tone but it can’t be done very well if you restrict yourself to just cardio (running, elliptical, swimming, etc.).
Although getting in good cardiovascular workouts is essential to burning fat, it must be paired with a weight lifting program to achieve maximum fat burning results. Many people do not realize the power that increased muscle mass has for burning calories when you’re not working out and keeping your metabolism up.
Your muscles have a voracious appetite and constantly work 24/7 burning off calories to maintain themselves. The more muscle mass you have the more calories you’ll be burning off on a daily basis. The reason cardio must be paired with weight lifting is because the majority of calories are burned while performing the cardio workout and has only a small effect for burning calories when your body is at rest whereas muscle mass can very effectively burn off the calories and fat when your body is at rest.
For the guys, maybe try cutting down on the cardio and transition to weight lifting more often. You will gain strength, tone your muscles and burn off the fat as well. So don’t be fooled by the stigma that to burn fat you just need to do a lot of cardio because without building up your muscle mass you won’t burn off the fat nearly as effectively or quickly.
A combination of cardio and a weight lifting program is a must for anyone who is serious about slimming down and toning up.
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Can I ask though – how did you get this picked up and into google news?
Very impressive that this blog is syndicated through Google and is it something that is just up to Google or you actively created?
Obviously this is a popular blog with great data so well done on your seo success..
Weight training greats you should write about next, my ex was a Weight training champ!
I notice that also. A lot of women just say, “I don’t want to look like that muscle man over there. I better not lift weights.”
News Flash – Not everyone who lifts weights is buff. There’s two kinds of training for lifters. Well, two main ones. There’s people who want to gain weight / mass. And then there are people who want to tone up.
Gain Mass – Lift heavier with lesser reps.
Tone Up – Lift lighter with more reps.
Anyway. Great article.
That is so true. Resistance or Strength training is the key to losing weight. Though cardiovascular exercises on machines such as recumbent bikes, treadmills and elliptical machines are great ways of burning fat. Adding a little weight training to any of your workouts will burn extra calories a day. Not only that, it will still continue burning extra calories even after the gym. Research shows that regular resistance training increases your metabolic rate at around 15%. And not only this training helps you lose weight, makes your heart and lungs healthy as well. It will help you build stronger muscles, ligaments and such, making you more able to resist stress, and the improved flexibility will also reduces back and muscle pain. There are lots of benefits weight training can give. 15-20 minutes of strength training is enough to gain all the health benefits you need. Be it inside the gym, or simple using your resistance home gym machine in the convenience of your home. Remember, start slowly and work you way up for that healthier, slimmer you!
I agree. Women ha e the wrong idea that lifting weight will make them look muscular. But the truth is, lifting weights will actually make them lose fat faster than the moderate workout such as cardio and aerobics. Fat takes up 5 times more space than muscles so contrary to popular belief that women will look bulkier, you’ll actually look leaner and firmer. Using dumbbells, or simply pushing yourself against the wall is a good way of burning fat. and this are called Weight trainings. Weight training can be achieve by lifting heavy items, in a matter of 10 minutes and in small repetition. The good thing about this, aside from burning fat faster when working out, it also still burn fat, even when you are already sleeping.
So stop that bad thinking and work yourself hard, lift weights at gym, or simple purchase and inexpensive home gym equipment that has 55 level of resistance bands, this will help you improve your workout and shed of fat faster than you think.
I agree, if you restrain your self and not do weight lifting and etc.. you won’t lose as much weight as you would think.
One secret to fat burning is to do cardio in the am before eating. In a 0 glycogen setting, your body will burn body fat.
Don’t just stick to one routine. Try different combinations to achieve best results.
I agree with Mercola, it’s wise to rotate weight lifting routines often, and work different parts of the body to give the other parts time to rest. Rather than working two parts of the arm like biceps and triceps, try working biceps and legs, and then triceps and back the next time.
Then when your body gets in a routine (usually 2 weeks) start a totally different routine. That will shock your muscles and maximize the exercise effectiveness.
My exerience falls in line with the fact that weight training or at least some form of strength training is much more effective for fat loss and weight loss than simply performing cardio alone!
Unfortunately many people still mistakenly believe that training with weights will make them bulk up beyond all recognition. Totally false, but that’s what people still believe. If you’re rading this and your on the fence so to speak, definately incorporate weight training into your fitness fat loss routine if you want to burn fat and lose weight quicker.
I’m so glad that you made the quick note to the ladies…
I can’t tell you how many ladies I can’t get to work out with weights because they don’t want to lok too muscular or bulky…
Weight training is absolutely the best thing you can do if you want to look toned and melt fat of your body.
I may make a lengthier post about women doing weights. But I cant agree more about the perception that women doing weights will make them look like bodybuilders. All they need to know is of the thousands of men pushing weights who have little success in gaining muscle to know just how difficult that muscular, bulky look can be.
We all need to do weight training, even the women. That being said you dont need to pump iron like a bodybuilder, just a little toning and shaping. Cardio is good for you but it’s more of a quick fix than weight lifting. Over the long term weight lifting will burn more calories.
I have a question for you…
If you only had one half hour to work 3-4 times a week would you recommend doing some weight training or cardio if someone was just looking to improve their cardiovascular?
I only ask because the whole “weight training being heart healthy” fad seems to really be picking up speed lately.
Fads can really make facts hard to find. But if you were looking only to improve your cardiovascular system than Cardio workouts are the way to go.
Weight training can take on many forms but unless your lifting light weights, with lots of (fast)repititions, weight lifting is not really a heart specific exercise (although it will help general health).
Running is still the best way to burn fat. You can run outdoors or use a treadmill. The ideal treadmill workout should get your heart rate going and provide aerobic exercise. During a warm up your heart rate should be between 50-60%. During your workout portion, this should increase to around 70-85%. If not, then you are not getting full benefit from your exercise routine. However, if you push your heart rate over 85% then you are probably working yourself too hard and your body will not benefit as much from this and in fact, can even do more harm than good.
hmm nice post. Yeah I am a personal trainer and I still find so many women that have issues with bulking up..but it is all in their head. They would have to simply lift a lot of weights, probably take a lot of performance enhancing drugs, and eat like a 400kg man to actually get the gains that they think will happen to them when they atart weight training!
Very informative article. I was surprised when I learned that not many men who are trying to gain muscle mass didn’t realize they are actually hurting their goals with how hard they were also slamming the cardio workouts. While cardio is important, it shouldn’t be done as much as weight lifting if your goal is to gain mass.
Nice article
It seems like more and more of the benefits of weight training are hitting the mainstream media lately which I think is great. Trying to convince people that weight training is extrememly effective for weight loss and for toning the body can be an uphill battle.
Hey it’s Taylor again. I wanted to come back and note that eating is a very important part of weight training. Never underestimate the power of natural foods. Eating 6 meals a day is just as, if not more important than the training itself. Whether you’re trying to gain mass or get tone, eating is very important!
great post. one common mistake however that many people make it trying to build muscles and maintaining some weird diet at the same time. muscles need to be fed properly, otherwise instead of burning fat youll be burning your muscles.
This is true building muscle mass allows you to burn more calories as a result you need to feed the muscles to keep them from being broken down for energy. A good protein and complex carbs diet with some healthy fats is ideal.
Very good info, i am a personal trainer and have been for a few years now. I see girls all the time that are affraid to lift weights because they are affraid to bulk up.
this is a great article,
and very true as well.
sadly not everyone is going to see this,
because so many people wonder why they aren’t losing weight doing cardio an hour a day everyday of the week, and it is the lack of muscle mass.
throwing in weight training will do wonders.
you have some very informative articles,
and this is another one that is top notch.
Women, if your wanting to lose weight but are affraid to look “manly” so you avoid the gym or lifting, dont worry! If you work out properly you will be fine. Dieting is also very important when losing weight or working out.
I would love to see more articles about women and weightlifting. After 30, we (women)need to do weight training, not to get more muscle mass, but simply to retain the muscle mass we have. The older you get, the more important weight training becomes. And you don’t bulk up, you just look toned and lean.
This article is very informative thanks. Having the right mix of cardio and muscle training is very important. Cardio to boost up your energy and get you psyched and then muscle building to help burn-up calories.
Simply put, cardio is the short term solution to fat burning but weight training is the long term solution that will help you keep it off. Once you have a good deal of muscle you will be able to be less strict with your diet as well.
Very interesting and informative article, has found for itself a little new that earlier and did not know
I think the time has gone when women were not supposed to do all man things. It’s time of equalizer and they are doing all those things which men are doing. It is good to buildup their bodies with all possible efforts which they are missing.
You have said right. Women, please don’t deny lifting weights saying that you don’t want to bulk up. A few minutes of resistance training will tone your body and you can lose fat easily.
I think the most important factor to losing body fat for everyone regardless of gender is the combination of healthy eating, cardio, and weight training.
I agree. It is important to build muscle even if you want to slim.
The good-looking body is an athletic body, no just a thin.
Cardiovascular Training is definately important for weight loss but a good bodybuilding workout routine works as an afterburner for fatburning cause the metabolic rate is higher over a longer period of time as with the cardio training.
Sorry formy english, I´m german.
Thanks for your fat burning exercises information. I am getting ready to start working out and was searching the internet all day for this information. I have signed up for your RSS feeder.
I agree with you..building muscle helps a lot in burning those unwanted fats. Also having a regular exercise can help a lot in staying fit and healthy.
Well I tell my people all the time 75% diet, 20% resistance training and 5% cardio. I believe abs are made in the kitchen. Also slimming is done with weight lifting since it burns calories for days after the workout unlike cardio.
this article is very interesting and very informative, a lot of people including myself can learn from this site, great work!!! hi five for you!!!
Really wonderful piece of information and I appreciate it that you share something so useful with the readers of this blog. I guess almost everyone now know how to lose weight, what people are not ready to do is the effort and work that goes into reducing weight.
Stumbled across your blog while searching through yahoo. I read the first paragraph and its fantastic! I do not have time to read it all now, but I have bookmarked this site and will read the rest tonight. : )
Good Post. I have to agree the ladies should not be afraid to lift some weights. It will help them lose the fat and they will not bulk up. They are not genetically made to bulk up like us men can.
I guess that most people reading this blog wll be too young to remember Charles Atlas and his famous ’7 stone weakling’ adverts. This was the guy who couldn’t impress the girls because all the other boys were bigger, stronger and looked more healthy…and the advert always showed him getting sand kicked in his face while on the beach. Well, the ’7 stone weakling’ discovered a secret – ‘Dynamic Tension’ – and by the end of the advert he was the biggest, strongest and healthiest-looking of the lot. The reason I mention this is that the real-life Charles Atlas built himself an enviable body by using various sets of muscles working against other muscles. It was weight training but without the weights – and he didn’t have an ounce of fat on his body!
So what’s my point? My point is that yes,you need to be eating correctly but you need to build muscle too because it’s muscle that eats fat best – and ladies you don’t have to end up looking like Charles Atlas, just make sure that the yo-yo diets you tend to use don’t just strip your muscles and fluids. It’s not about losing weight…it’s about losing fat.
Hey, I love you post about using metabolism to burn fat! Thanks so much! Have you seen the website Fat Burning Secrets ?
It also helps to focus your weight training on large muscle groups like your quads and pectorals. These larger muscles will burn fat quicker than, for example, your biceps. To get a great six pack set of abs, you need to turn your body into a fat burning machine.
Research shows that regular resistance training increases your metabolic rate at around 15%. And not only this training helps you lose weight, makes your heart and lungs healthy as well. It will help you build stronger muscles, ligaments and such, making you more able to resist stress, and the improved flexibility will also reduces back and muscle pain.
Awesome article, very informative! It is important to incorporate fiber in your nutrition plan as it fills you up, and keeps away the cravings to eat more. Water acts in the same way too.
Exercise works hand in hand with diet. Having only 1 would most likely result to a failure. Most people forget this fact that when they fail, they say “It doesn’t work” or “I can never get this body better” which only depresses them more and results to a worse body.
I believe they say that by building 1lb of muscle will help by burning 50 more calories a day with no exercise.
Hi there, I found your blog via Google while searching for muscle building and your post looks very interesting for me.
The thing that really made this kick in for me is the tip that the largere muscle groups need even more calories to work. You need to make sure your work out is all over, but concentrate on the large muscle groups (thighs, chest and back). I did it and really noticed a difference
I really agree on this article, since it’s better to see women with muscles than fat ones. And also in additional, slim men would have good build-up using this steps.
Im a personal trainer and the other thing that will help people gain lean muscle as opposed to fat is as you correctly said ‘weight lifting’ to build more muscle. However the right diet is required to have the effective calories available and be in the anabolic state to gain muscle itself.
The main expertise i have is in the muscle gain dieting that people go through. Make sure you are eating at least 5/6 meals a day to keep your body in the anabolic (tissue building) stage, obviously with the right food groups but from what you have listed your on the right track. The other main thing is to keep a food diary and make sure your caloric intake is much higher than expenditure, to ensure weight gain.
I am also a personal trainer and this comes up a lot with my women clients. They think if they lift weights they will get a manly figure, which is furthest from the truth. Weight training is essential in order to achieve a healthy, lean, look and to maintain that look. I always stress the importance of free weights to my clients.
Great article! I sure hope that most women will find the truth in weight training. This is definitely the key to burning off the fat. Some maybe feel that the anabolic women are out there because of lifting weight, when in reality they are all juiced up.
To add my 2 cents worth I would advocate the following too:
* Interval training – adding short bursts of intense activity to the routine workout;
* Addressing the mental element of weight loss – using visualisiation and affirmations;
* Managing stress – cortisol promotes weight gain / fat storage;
And yes ladies, its true what they all have been saying – building lean mass boosts your metabolism and promotes weight loss and NO, you need not end up looking like the Terminator to achieve this.
I hope this helps. Good luck everyone and may you all reach your goals.
Love and peace.
Great blog! As a 50+ woman I have always struggled with my weight and have tried every diet you can name. It wasn’t until a year ago when my daughter announced her engagement and I was so desperate to lose weight that I was willing to try weights. To my surprise, I lost weight, inches and felt great. I still had to watch what I ate but can’t imagine any other way to get in shape and feel great!
I am also a personal trainer mostly deals with women that want to lose arm fat. They think if they lift weights they will get the manly figure, which is definitely not true. It’s essential in order to stay healthy, lean, look and to maintain that look.
Interesting idea. Combination of cardio and weights… hmm… will try that.
Great post!
I have been trying to lose fat and gain muscle ever since my college days and am always grateful for anything that gets me and my girlfriend to the goal of a ripped body.
Many thanks
Ryan_Green