Weight Loss 101: Lift It to Lose It
You’re on a mission to lose weight. Not only are you eating better, but you are also burning a ton of calories through daily cardio exercise. So why, despite all these efforts, are you not seeing results?! One reason could be that you’re actually doing too much cardio and not enough weight training. Shocked and confused? We explain…
Myth vs. Fact
Whether this is your first dedicated effort to shed pounds or another frustrating attempt, you’re likely under false pretenses about how weight loss works in terms of overall goals. We explain one of the biggest misconceptions about losing weight…
Myth: If you want to be skinny, cardio is the answer. If you want to bulk up, it’s all about weight training.
Fact: Strength training should be the backbone of your fitness regimen if your ultimate goal is to lose weight!
At Driven Fit + Sponaugle, our trainers work with you to create an overall weight-loss fitness strategy that includes a cohesive mix of cardio and strength training.
Weight Training & Your Metabolism
Burning calories is how your body loses weight, but your metabolism is the driving force behind that process and is how your body converts the calories you consume for energy. So, the faster your metabolism runs, the more calories you burn (even while at rest!). The good news? Strength training is a great way to speed up your metabolism to increase your caloric burn rate.
Adding Muscle Weight to Lose Body Fat
Your metabolism also plays a key role in how it relates to muscle and fat. For example, a pound of lean muscle tissue requires more calories for energy than a pound of fat. Therefore, the more weight you have in muscle, the stronger you become and the more calories you burn!
Looking Beyond the Scale
While in theory, adding more weight seems counterproductive to a weight loss strategy. However, when that added weight is muscle mass, it only revs up your metabolism and sets you up for long-term success with losing unwanted body fat. At Driven Fit + Sponaugle, we encourage all our clients who are trying to lose weight to think beyond the scale! Instead, focus on other signs of progress such as your clothes fitting better, looking more toned, and feeling more confident…just to name a few!
Why Cardio Matters
Don’t read this and start to think cardio isn’t important…because it definitely is! In fact, it is a key component to any well-rounded fitness regimen and offers a ton of benefits, some of which include…
- Increased endurance
- Improved heart health
- Lower cholesterol
- Weight loss
All we are saying is that cardio goes hand-in-hand with weight training to boost your metabolism and burn calories faster. It’s the difference between working smarter and working harder where cardio should be used as a strategic supplement to weight training.
Gain Muscle to Lose Weight at Driven Fit + Sponaugle
Ready to take your weight loss program to the next level? Our South Tampa fitness and wellness center offers intensive programs to help you lose weight and keep it off! To learn more about our personal training, massage therapy, and chiropractic care services, call (813) 440-3016. To schedule an appointment, text (813) 576-1160.
