Introduction
In this article, we will talk about the importance of weight lifting when trying to lose weight. We will give you some crucial reasons why you should include iron in your routine, so stick around.
The Kind Of Weight Lost Matters
While your priority is to lose weight, the number on the scale doesn’t tell the whole story. There is good, and there is a bad kind of weight.
It would be a much better idea if you would target losing fat. But, if your only strategy is to reduce your caloric intake, you will lose more than fat—muscles.
When you are in a caloric deficit, your body feels threatened. Yes, it is a conscious decision to eat less, but you can’t explain it to our self-defense mechanism.
Food is scarce! Slow down the metabolism! Shut down any unnecessary activity! Ditch everything we are not using! Before you know it, your body will start breaking down those hard-earned muscles.
However, if you are regularly exercising with weights, your body won’t see your muscles as useless. Incorporating weight exercises alongside caloric restriction will signal your body that it still needs those muscles in everyday activities, slowing down their breakdown.
Muscles Will Ignite Fat Burning Too!
The main reason why our body immediately starts treating muscles as a surplus, as soon as we begin a diet without keeping them activated is that muscles require a lot of energy just to be maintained. But, if you train them, this becomes an advantage—they will continue burning a tone of calories, speeding up the fat loss.
Also, working out with weights, and especially performing compound movements such as squats, deadlifts and presses will burn a lot of calories.
The expenditure will continue 48-72 hours after your workout, through recovery. Your body will need calories to recover, keeping the furnace on 2-3 days after your workout.
Take Care Of Your Protein
While working out is essential, you need to be careful about your diet, if you want to maintain your muscles. Make sure you eat enough protein, 0.8-2g of protein per pound of body weight, every day.
Proteins are an essential part of muscle-building. You damage your muscles while exercising; then, during recovery, your body mends the tissue through the process of protein synthesis. That’s why it’s imperative to have enough protein in your system.
Just be careful not to overeat. Your goal is losing weight, and for that, you need to be in a caloric deficit. You want to increase protein, which means that you have to reduce the other two macronutrients—fat, and especially carbs.
Our advice is to go easy on the sugar. Cut soda and sweets, and limit your fruit intake to one serving per day. Before you know it, your beer gut will start disappearing.
Conclusion
Those were some reasons why you should hit the gym when dieting. If you need more advice, don’t hesitate to contact us.
We are experienced personal trainers, located in West Palm Beach. We can help you achieve your fitness goals through one on one sessions, but also by making you a detailed workout and nutrition plan that you can actually stick to. Don’t hesitate to visit us today, and start your fitness journey the right way!
