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There's a lesson I wish I had learned a long time ago. It is that there are other ways to burn calories and lose weight besides aerobics. Because it seems that resistance training may be as important for burning off the fat.
Which might explain why I was having a hard time losing the weight despite hours on the treadmill. Because for some strange reason my fat loss was not what I was expecting.
So if you are laboring under the assumption aerobics are best for fat burning too maybe a second look is called for. To find out just where resistance training fits into the big picture here.
Well from what I can tell aerobic exercises have always been associated with fat loss. The reason is not hard to see. Aerobics is relatively easy and not all that uncomfortable to do. I mean come on now. It's not THAT tough compared to some things. Besides the theory is simple enough. Reach your fat burning zone. Stay there for 30-40 minutes duration. And you are done.
Even better you can listen to music, watch television, read a book or otherwise amuse yourself too while doing aerobics.
Resistance or strength training, on the other hand, now that involves a lot of stress and strain. You have to struggle with weights, do 2-3 sets with 12-20 repetitions in each set at least. I mean who wants to get out of the comfort zone of aerobics and do resistance training? Not me.
But let's do a reality check here and take a hard look at the list of relative benefits of cardio exercise versus strength training as defined. With an easily overlooked drawback thrown in too.
When it comes to burning off fat here's how I see what cardio offers.
You burn slightly more calories with your cardiovascular routine than with weights or resistance training.
Fewer calories are burned AFTER your cardio workouts stop however.
Plus you can't ignore the serious stress you're putting on your joints and the strain on your muscles unless of course you're doing water aerobics.
Okay so what does resistance training do for you in the fat burning department?
While the number of calories burned depends on the number of reps and amount of weight used, truth is you can burn about the same amount of calories you would with a decent aerobic workout.
But don't miss this. You will still burn calories - even as you sleep. That's because your metabolic rate stays elevated as your muscles repair and rebuild. We're talking maybe as much as 30% elevation for a long as 36 hours later.
You also have less overall chance of injuring yourself because when you workout your core and ab muscles you improve your overall coordination and balance.
Voila! So with resistance training you build fat burning muscles and also lose fat. What's not to like? Given this now what you should do?
Well for one you don't want to go overboard and ditch your cardio routine after reading this. No, the sensible thing is to combine low intensity aerobics with moderate weight training. Because aerobic activities offer their own health benefits.
They make you heart and lungs stronger so that they are more efficient.
They improve blood circulation.
They help you develop better overall endurance, stamina and fitness level.
Help in the muscle repair after a strength training workout.
That makes the success formula obvious. Simply embrace a complete system of cardio, resistance training and better diet to become a fitter, leaner you. Easy, right?
Which might explain why I was having a hard time losing the weight despite hours on the treadmill. Because for some strange reason my fat loss was not what I was expecting.
So if you are laboring under the assumption aerobics are best for fat burning too maybe a second look is called for. To find out just where resistance training fits into the big picture here.
Well from what I can tell aerobic exercises have always been associated with fat loss. The reason is not hard to see. Aerobics is relatively easy and not all that uncomfortable to do. I mean come on now. It's not THAT tough compared to some things. Besides the theory is simple enough. Reach your fat burning zone. Stay there for 30-40 minutes duration. And you are done.
Even better you can listen to music, watch television, read a book or otherwise amuse yourself too while doing aerobics.
Resistance or strength training, on the other hand, now that involves a lot of stress and strain. You have to struggle with weights, do 2-3 sets with 12-20 repetitions in each set at least. I mean who wants to get out of the comfort zone of aerobics and do resistance training? Not me.
But let's do a reality check here and take a hard look at the list of relative benefits of cardio exercise versus strength training as defined. With an easily overlooked drawback thrown in too.
When it comes to burning off fat here's how I see what cardio offers.
You burn slightly more calories with your cardiovascular routine than with weights or resistance training.
Fewer calories are burned AFTER your cardio workouts stop however.
Plus you can't ignore the serious stress you're putting on your joints and the strain on your muscles unless of course you're doing water aerobics.
Okay so what does resistance training do for you in the fat burning department?
While the number of calories burned depends on the number of reps and amount of weight used, truth is you can burn about the same amount of calories you would with a decent aerobic workout.
But don't miss this. You will still burn calories - even as you sleep. That's because your metabolic rate stays elevated as your muscles repair and rebuild. We're talking maybe as much as 30% elevation for a long as 36 hours later.
You also have less overall chance of injuring yourself because when you workout your core and ab muscles you improve your overall coordination and balance.
Voila! So with resistance training you build fat burning muscles and also lose fat. What's not to like? Given this now what you should do?
Well for one you don't want to go overboard and ditch your cardio routine after reading this. No, the sensible thing is to combine low intensity aerobics with moderate weight training. Because aerobic activities offer their own health benefits.
They make you heart and lungs stronger so that they are more efficient.
They improve blood circulation.
They help you develop better overall endurance, stamina and fitness level.
Help in the muscle repair after a strength training workout.
That makes the success formula obvious. Simply embrace a complete system of cardio, resistance training and better diet to become a fitter, leaner you. Easy, right?
About the Author:
Jalinn M Hardy writes for the popular health and fitness site MeltOffTheInches.com. There you can learn more about why a regular jump rope fitness workout is such a good exercise for those looking to lose inches. If you don't know the benefits of jumping rope perhaps you should check that website out now.
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