Strength Training For Fat Loss

By far, the question I get asked the most is "What's the best exercise for fat loss?". The short answer is strength training. Most people I talk to are doing either none or very little training using weights. How many calories a person burns each day is basically a function of how much muscle he/she has and how hard that muscle works. Strength (resistance) training creates more metabolic disturbance, which causes the body to burn more calories overall, than any other form of exercise. So strength training should be a part of everyone's exercise plan, but especially for those who are trying to lose fat.

Not all forms of strength training are created equal when it comes to training for fat loss. Intensity and duration are important as the following study shows.

Schuenke MD, Mikat RP, McBride JM

Eur J Appl Physiol. 2002 Mar;86(5):411-7

The study participants performed a three exercise circuit four times in 31 minutes. Intensity was high and duration was short. The study found that EPOC was significantly higher for up to 38 hours after the exercise session.

EPOC is Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption. Higher EPOC means the study participants were using more oxygen for 38 hours after 31 minutes of circuit training than other forms of exercise. Using more oxygen equals burning more calories and burning more calories equals greater fat loss.

Circuit resistance training has to be a part of your routine if want to lose fat. And if you have very little time for exercise, then it should be your number one choice. Get with a personal trainer and have them design a full body circuit strength training program that you can perform 3 times a week and can be done within 40 minutes and you'll be burning fat in no time. If you like to do things yourself, then check out Turbulence Training or Afterburn in the right hand margin. These are the best programs I've found so far that do exactly as I've talked about in this post.

My next post will be how to add the right cardio for fat loss.

More Cardio Doesn't Equal Fat Loss

Have you noticed how most health clubs and gyms have become mega loaded with cardio equipment? I've seen clubs that are jam packed with treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, treadclimbers, rowers, and so on and so on. There'll be an area with a huge bank of TV's up front for people to tune into their favorite station, an area called a cardio "theater" where movies are played all day long, and another small corner in back with yet more cardio machines. "Why is this?" you may ask. Because 90% of everyone who goes to a health club or gym has bought into the myth that you have to do more cardio to lose fat. Yes, I said myth and here are the reasons.

1) "Fat Burning Zone" Doesn't Exist-It is true that the body burns a greater percentage of fat at lower intensities than it does at higher intensities. However, low intensity cardio burns very few calories when compared to high intensity cardio. Real world example: Sprinters carry less body fat than Marathon runners

2) Increased Efficiency-Long, slow cardio workouts are great for increasing the body's ability to burn oxygen and fat. This is good for cardiovascular fitness but not so good for fat loss. As you become more fit you'll burn less fat just like a fuel efficient car burns less gas. So you'll have to workout longer and longer to burn the same number of calories as when you started.

3) Adaptation-The body will actually change itself to handle the work being done. In other words, if you perform the same workout at the same intensity over and over, then the body will adapt, the workout becomes easy and loses its effectiveness. You must have variety.

The question now becomes "What is the best program for fat loss?". An effective fat loss program includes both strength training and the "right" cardio. The next few posts will talk about the best way to use these tools to maximize fat loss.