Want to Burn Calories? Try Weight Training to Lose Fat
By: Sean Nalewanyj
Submitted: 2009-11-22 17:46:35 | Word Count: 832
There are many confusing myths out there surrounding the proper methods of weight training to lose fat.
However, the truth is that if you're using weight training to lose fat and you're looking to carve out a lean, defined, and shapely physique, it's critical that you train just like a bodybuilder. Yes, that includes women too!
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Here's the reason…
One of your primary concerns when weight training to lose fat is to build and maintain your body's levels of lean muscle mass. Muscle is able to burn calories all on its own because it is metabolically active. In other words, when you have more muscle, your metabolism also increases.
In order to build the lean muscle that your body needs to raise your metabolism, you need to be constantly lifting weights that are slightly beyond the current capacity of your muscles in order to stimulate growth. To put it simply, you need to push yourself if want to achieve any real results from your weight training.
When you are weight training to lose fat, you should also keep your reps in the low to moderate range. Many are under the misguided notion that light weight and high reps burn more fat. Needless to say, this is completely untrue.
It is physically impossible to target fat loss to a specific area on your body. Whenever you train with weights, you are not magically melting of fat in the areas you are working.
Low to moderate reps will yield better results when you're weight training to lose fat. They provide a deeper growth stimulating effect and allow you to handle more weight by tapping into the fast twitch muscle fibers, which are by far the most responsive to increases in size and strength.
In addition, they allow you to keep your set short, which lets you maintain peak mental focus and decrease the chances of injury due to sloppy technique.
For any upper body exercises, the ideal number of reps are between 5 (lowest) and 10 (highest). Thus, you need to choose a weight with which you can do a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 10 complete reps, using proper form.
Lower body muscles are more responsive and can handle reps as high as 25 with good results.
Stimulating muscle growth should be your primary focus when weight training to lose fat; to achieve this, you need to train hard in order to increase your poundage and reps each week.
That is why it is vital to have adequate rest for your muscles between each set.
While the standard thinking is that one should rest for about 30 to 60 seconds between sets, this is not ideal as it doesn't allow the muscles to fully rest.
When you're weight training to lose fat, you should rest for as long as needed; this will ensure that you are fully recovered for the next set. Depending on the individual, rests between sets can be 2 to 5 minutes.
Always remember that weight training to lose fat isn't the same as cardio. Your aim is not to directly burn fat; instead, you need to encourage muscle growth that will increase your overall metabolism. This, in turn, will help you shed fat from your entire body more quickly and easily. Also, lean muscle will help you achieve an athletic looking body.
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