Weight Loss: Strength Training Does More Than Build Muscles, You Shed Calories Too

A combination of exercise, a balanced diet and an overall healthy lifestyle are all essential to initiate and sustain your weight loss journey. When it comes to working out, while cardio is typically considered best for weight loss, lifting weights has always been associated with muscle building. However, as experts point out, strength training can play a significant role in shedding fat and burning excess calories. 

Mukul Nagpaul, Founder of Pmftraining and Fit India Movement Ambassador, shares, "Strength training can indeed aid in weight loss. When you're in the gym, you might look at the rows of shiny dumbbells and barbells and think, 'Those are for the muscle heads, not for someone who wants to lose weight.' But what if I told you that those weights could become your best friends in your weight loss journey?" Let's find out with Nagpaul how weights can help in weight loss. 

How Weight Training Helps In Weight Loss

Nagpaul points out that first off, strength training builds muscle mass. "Muscles are like calorie-burning machines. They burn calories even when you're resting. So, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn throughout the day," he says, adding, "Strength training also improves your metabolic rate. What does this mean? Simply put, it's the rate at which your body burns calories. When you lift weights, your metabolism gets a boost and stays elevated for hours after your workout. So you'll be burning calories long after you've left the gym!"

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Weight Training Efficacy And Comparison With Cardio

Now, let's talk numbers. "A study published in the journal 'Obesity' noted that adults who incorporated strength training into their workouts lost more fat (10.2%) than those who stuck to aerobic exercise alone (6%). That’s a 4% difference," says Nagpaul. But isn't strength training hard? Nagpaul reminds fitness enthusiasts, "Anything worth doing usually is. But remember, every time you lift that weight, you're not just building muscle, you're shedding pounds."

And here comes the contrast. "While cardio exercises are great for heart health and immediate calorie burning, strength training offers a longer-term benefit. It’s like investing in a savings account versus spending all your money right away," says Nagpaul. He adds, "Begin your fitness journey today and give those weights a try. Remember, it's not about becoming the next bodybuilding champion. It's about using every tool at your disposal to reach your weight loss goals."