Weight Training For Fat Loss Not Muscle Building

By Steve Menzies


Weight training is often mistaken as a bodybuilding method rather than a fat loss method.

But the fact is, resistance training has been scientifically proven to elevate our body's fat burning ability.

In fact, resistance training has been clinically proven across many scientific research studies to be highly effective for burning body fat - even more than cardiovascular exercise!

H.I.R.T. is the name given to the style of resistance training we will be discussing today. This is not pretty, but it is very effective!

However, if you want to burn fat you do not need to do endless reps with light weights. This does go against the gym myths from decades before us, but clinical studies prove that pushing yourself with heavier weights and for fewer reps will yield greater results for you. So dispel any thoughts of fitness classes which encourage you to lift empty barbells and ankle weights. To get the most from resistance training, we must go heavier.

The muscle building process which is kick-started following a weights workout is known as hypertrophy. The key factor here is that a session based around hypertrophy will use carbohydrates as it's main fuel during the workout. Not fat.

Now, you could see that as a disadvantage if your main goal is fat loss - why wouldn't you want to burn fat as your primary fuel?

That's because this anabolic response creates a procedure within the human body known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. This flips the fuel burning rule book out of the window and places our carbohdrate stores on temporary lockdown, forcing us to use fat as our primary source of fuel in the hours which follow a gym workout. Now you should be beginning to see the real advantages of high intensity weight lifting...

Carbohydrates may be the main macronutrient we use while we are training, but the moment we reach the end of our workout everything begins to change. Fat is then promoted as our primary fuel - and this phenomenon, known as the after burn effect, can last for up to sixteen hours!

But how do you actually do this style of training?



The reason most people believe weight lifting is purely for bodybuilding purposes is because most people follow a bodybuilding routine without realizing it. Take a look the next time you train. How many people are lifting a weight for eight to twelve reps? How many are sitting for one-to-two minutes resting after each set? The answer is too many. That's normal gym procedure for the masses.

But it is not H.I.R.T. and it is not the most effective training style for fat loss.

Put two or even four exercises together into a series of mini circuits throughout your workout. Avoid performing single set exercises followed by two minutes checking your phone or updating your social media status. Perform exercises back-to-back without rest, reducing your workload time but improving your productivity.

Studies confirm that not only is H.I.R.T. great for fat loss, it is even superior to aerobic cardio exercise. Given that this is by far the most popular training method in mainstream gyms today, there are a lot of people reading this article who will have just discovered valuable new training information. Have fun implementing it.




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