Will Lifting Weights Help You Lose Fat?
Many people want to lose fat—so will weight training help them do it?
Yes!
Lifting weights is a great way to burn fat, but here’s something else to consider first:
Many people want to lose fat so they look toned and their muscles are more visible. The look they’re going for usually requires fat loss as well as a little muscle building. You build muscle through weight training. So if you have aesthetic goals, weight training is going to be a great tool for you.
Now don’t get me wrong: 30 minutes of cardiovascular training—running, cycling, rowing, swimming etc.—will burn more calories than 30 minutes of weight training.
For example, an online calorie-burning calculator estimates that a 180-lb. person will burn 410 calories through 30 minutes of cycling at moderate intensity. The same calculator estimates that the same person would burn 246 calories through 30 minutes of vigorous weight training.
So conditioning activities are definitely part of a fat-loss plan and we make sure we prescribe them to clients who want to reduce body fat.
But here are two important things to remember about weight training…