Weight lifting
- Thread starter Rocky2
- Start date
Many think this, but most can't lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. Only the physiologically blessed can do this. Also, if you are new to the weight room and it is a new stimulus for the body, then there is a short window where burning fat and building muscle is possible.
Put simply, to build muscle you must be in a calorie surplus and to lose fat, you must be in a calorie deficit.
You said you want to lose weight. In reality, you should only want to lose fat. Weight consists of fat, muscle, bone, tissue, etc. Too many people cut calories way to low, and don't supplement their exercise routine with weight training.
What weight training does, is help in the retention of muscle while on a small calorie deficit. When you are on a calorie deficit, you are undoubtedly going to lose SOME muscle, but if you eat right and hit the weights, you will maintain most of it.
This is important because muscle is a metabolically expensive tissue; meaning, just having more muscle on your frame increases your resting metabolic rate.
Put simply, to build muscle you must be in a calorie surplus and to lose fat, you must be in a calorie deficit.
You said you want to lose weight. In reality, you should only want to lose fat. Weight consists of fat, muscle, bone, tissue, etc. Too many people cut calories way to low, and don't supplement their exercise routine with weight training.
What weight training does, is help in the retention of muscle while on a small calorie deficit. When you are on a calorie deficit, you are undoubtedly going to lose SOME muscle, but if you eat right and hit the weights, you will maintain most of it.
This is important because muscle is a metabolically expensive tissue; meaning, just having more muscle on your frame increases your resting metabolic rate.
No, sorry, I must not have explained myself completely. During fat loss, it is very important to eat properly, workout aerobically, AND lift weights. There is no doubt that when most people begin a calorie restricted diet, they are going to lose some muscle. However, if you eat the right foods, as well as weight train, you should be able to maintain most of it.
Why is keeping as much muscle as possible important. It is metabolically expensive. The more muscle you have, the more calories you have to burn each and every day. We all have resting metabolic rates. This is the rate at which we burn calories doing no activity at all, just lying there, breathing, digesting, etc. This RMR comes to roughly 60-80% of our total calories burned each day. RMR is directly related to muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the higher your RMR will be.
Make sense?
Why is keeping as much muscle as possible important. It is metabolically expensive. The more muscle you have, the more calories you have to burn each and every day. We all have resting metabolic rates. This is the rate at which we burn calories doing no activity at all, just lying there, breathing, digesting, etc. This RMR comes to roughly 60-80% of our total calories burned each day. RMR is directly related to muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the higher your RMR will be.
Make sense?
