Confused about Strength Training...
electrogreenchic
Posts: 3 Member
I don't understand how strength training is better for fat loss/losing weight if it doesn't burn as many calories as other forms of exercise. I know that you continue burning calories afterwards and that it's hard to calculate calories burned with strength training, but I'm still a little confused. Could anyone explain?
0
Replies
-
electrogreenchic wrote: »I don't understand how strength training is better for fat loss/losing weight if it doesn't burn as many calories as other forms of exercise. I know that you continue burning calories afterwards and that it's hard to calculate calories burned with strength training, but I'm still a little confused. Could anyone explain?
Strength training is to retain the muscles you have.1 -
electrogreenchic wrote: »I don't understand how strength training is better for fat loss/losing weight if it doesn't burn as many calories as other forms of exercise. I know that you continue burning calories afterwards and that it's hard to calculate calories burned with strength training, but I'm still a little confused. Could anyone explain?
Strength training is to retain the muscles you have.
And to expand on that - this means the weight you lose will be mostly (barring some ridiculous dietary plan) fat. Otherwise, you'll be losing a bit of both fat and muscle.3 -
i am actually from the school of thought that cardio is better for weight loss, but strength training is still just awesome in general. but cardio is really great too. anything you do besides nothing is good for weight loss, I dont think it matters because diet is #1 far over and above anything else you do. But do everything, diet cardio and strength training.6
-
i am actually from the school of thought that cardio is better for weight loss, but strength training is still just awesome in general. but cardio is really great too. anything you do besides nothing is good for weight loss, I dont think it matters because diet is #1 far over and above anything else you do. But do everything, diet cardio and strength training.
I like this, and would add that a pound of muscle burns more calories at rest than a pound of fat so maintaining your muscle is really important.2 -
i am actually from the school of thought that cardio is better for weight loss, but strength training is still just awesome in general. but cardio is really great too. anything you do besides nothing is good for weight loss, I dont think it matters because diet is #1 far over and above anything else you do. But do everything, diet cardio and strength training.
I like this, and would add that a pound of muscle burns more calories at rest than a pound of fat so maintaining your muscle is really important.
yeah but on the flip side, smaller muscles burn more calories carrying around pounds of fat, and bigger muscles get very efficient and start burning less calories, so i think its all just negligible. we are talking a handful of calories here and a handful of calories there and none of it matters if you don't stop eating that 500 calorie slice of cake for dessert.4 -
Calorie intake being less than what you burn is the #1 thing for weight loss.
Strength training helps maintain existing muscle mass. This helps so that while eating at a deficit more of your weight loss is fat. Benefits of strength training:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/strength-training/art-20046670?pg=1
Cardio improves cardiovascular health and burns a decent amount of calories while you do it. The increased calorie burn makes it easier for people to maintain a deficit. Benefits of Aerobic exercise:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/aerobic-exercise/art-20045541?pg=2
Both have their benefits. I prefer to incorporate both into my routine. Strength training has proven to be very helpful for me. I find it easier to carry in groceries. Normal everyday things that used to feel heavy seem unbelievably light now. I enjoy cardio as well (dancing and running are my favs).5 -
I personally believe that strength training alone can and will burn fat, as it has for myself. The key is to keep rests low about 15-30 secs, and intensity HIGH, no playing on your phone, no looking around, set after set after set, it soon becomes cardio mixed in, especially if you do supersets,trisets and even giant sets, by the time your on your 3rd exercise you are sweating as much as you would have if you did 20 mins on the stairmaster. I know a lot of people do cardio over lifting but I can honestly say, minimal cardio coupled with high volume strength training will yield fat loss, bodyfat % drops, and retain muscle mass. I've been strength training for a yr now and went from 240 lbs 35% bf to 197 and 16% bf. I never did cardio until last month which I recently started incorporating 2/adays just to shed some extra bodyfat. It's all in how you train, cause you can sure turn a lift sesh into a cardio sesh!3
-
Yeah I'm a little confused too. I've been doing only cardio and eating at a slight deficit for about 3 mo tha . Prior to that I was just strength training. Im close to goal now and have started to add 2 strength days a week. Guess what? I lost very little of my progress as far as the weight that I can lift. I haven't had my bf % measured yet but I think I lost little if any muscle tone. In addition to cardio I was doin done body weight work but nothing crazy. I think from an evolutionary stand point it doesn't make sense for muscle to be a preferred source of fuel when there is a scarcity of calories. Otherwise we'd be too weak to hunt and gather and even farm . But thats just where my logic goes. Not scientific at all.2
-
tinywonder25 wrote: »Yeah I'm a little confused too. I've been doing only cardio and eating at a slight deficit for about 3 mo tha . Prior to that I was just strength training. Im close to goal now and have started to add 2 strength days a week. Guess what? I lost very little of my progress as far as the weight that I can lift. I haven't had my bf % measured yet but I think I lost little if any muscle tone. In addition to cardio I was doin done body weight work but nothing crazy. I think from an evolutionary stand point it doesn't make sense for muscle to be a preferred source of fuel when there is a scarcity of calories. Otherwise we'd be too weak to hunt and gather and even farm . But thats just where my logic goes. Not scientific at all.
That is still classified as strength training and helps to maintain muscles. There are various forms of strength training and all of them count.
2 -
That makes sense!0
-
electrogreenchic wrote: »I don't understand how strength training is better for fat loss/losing weight if it doesn't burn as many calories as other forms of exercise. I know that you continue burning calories afterwards and that it's hard to calculate calories burned with strength training, but I'm still a little confused. Could anyone explain?
Lets say you weigh 200 lbs. and your goal weight is 150 lbs. Some of that weight is muscle. If you are eating in a deficit, you will loose both muscle and fat. You can be skinny, and still look "flabby". Lifting weights will help to keep as much muscle as possible while eating at a deficit. Also, muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does. So, the more lean mass you have, the more efficient your body becomes at burning calories. Yes, cardio burns more calories during exercise, and increases your aerobic capacity. However, you loose weight in the kitchen. Exercise is for overall health.1 -
electrogreenchic wrote: »I don't understand how strength training is better for fat loss/losing weight if it doesn't burn as many calories as other forms of exercise. I know that you continue burning calories afterwards and that it's hard to calculate calories burned with strength training, but I'm still a little confused. Could anyone explain?
Lets say you weigh 200 lbs. and your goal weight is 150 lbs. Some of that weight is muscle. If you are eating in a deficit, you will loose both muscle and fat. You can be skinny, and still look "flabby". Lifting weights will help to keep as much muscle as possible while eating at a deficit. Also, muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does. So, the more lean mass you have, the more efficient your body becomes at burning calories. Yes, cardio burns more calories during exercise, and increases your aerobic capacity. However, you loose weight in the kitchen. Exercise is for overall health.
Nice post..
Metabolically need to keep those muscles from depleting while in a deficit. So what do I do when I want to loose weight or cut fat..?
I do both! And of course less trips to the kitchen! LOL
1 -
It does get confusing.
Especially when people say that after you lift, you continue to burn calories long afterwards unlike with cardio because of repairing muscles etc.
I know that with all the running I do, there is still "muscle repair" going on from cardio too.
All the replies have been great.
I too agree that #1 is diet and mixture of cardio and strength gives that nice lean and toned/tight body that many seek.
0 -
tinywonder25 wrote: »Yeah I'm a little confused too. I've been doing only cardio and eating at a slight deficit for about 3 mo tha . Prior to that I was just strength training. Im close to goal now and have started to add 2 strength days a week. Guess what? I lost very little of my progress as far as the weight that I can lift. I haven't had my bf % measured yet but I think I lost little if any muscle tone. In addition to cardio I was doin done body weight work but nothing crazy. I think from an evolutionary stand point it doesn't make sense for muscle to be a preferred source of fuel when there is a scarcity of calories. Otherwise we'd be too weak to hunt and gather and even farm . But thats just where my logic goes. Not scientific at all.
Muscle isn't a preferred source of calories, but it is a source.
The basic idea, from an evolutionary perspective, is "use it or lose it". Your body will maintain enough muscle to do your regular activities plus some extra "buffer", because it never wants to operate muscles all the way at their maximum limit. If you want to build and maintain more muscle, you need to increase your regular activities. If you were a caveman whose regular activities were hunting mammoth, you probably would retain a lot more muscle than someone whose regular activities involve hunting keys on a keyboard.
That's also why people who are prevented from using muscles for a time need physical therapy - e.g. someone who spends a month or two bedridden will lose a lot of muscle in their legs, and will typically not be able to walk again without therapy to rebuild muscle. The same thing (though to a lesser degree) happens anytime you reduce how much you use a particular muscle.1 -
electrogreenchic wrote: »I don't understand how strength training is better for fat loss/losing weight if it doesn't burn as many calories as other forms of exercise. I know that you continue burning calories afterwards and that it's hard to calculate calories burned with strength training, but I'm still a little confused. Could anyone explain?
It is not. Fat loss happens from eating less than you burn. A combination of cardio and resistance training is needed for health and fitness. If you start lifting weights, and this is the only thing you change in your routine, no diet changes, no overall increased physical activity, you will not lose fat.1 -
thanks! Amazing answers!0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 392.9K Introduce Yourself
- 43.7K Getting Started
- 260.1K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.8K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 415 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.9K Motivation and Support
- 7.9K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.6K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.5K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions