Majority of the reasons people have for working out is fat loss. Let’s face it, everyone’s ‘go-to’ to remedy this is to hit the cardio and hit it HARD. This actually slows down the metabolism. Now, in the short term, yes you will experience some amount of fat loss, but then might go through a “plateau.” That is because the body is good at adapting and will try to burn less fat in order to burn less calories. Exercising is putting extreme stress on the body, so the body will then start to become more efficient at that activity so won’t produce the same level of stress the next time.

Think of people who run every single day. Most runners are fairly skinny, with not much in the way of muscle mass. That is because the body doesn’t require as much muscle for that particular activity and has adapted to become efficient as such.

So what do we do? We weight train! Weigh training sends signals to the body that it needs to get stronger, so that is what the body focuses on, rather than trying to burn less calories. More muscle requires more calories. Now with that being said, it’s not wise to enhance exercise and start restricting calories. Your metabolism must remain healthy and with normal functions, but this is part in why weight training helps in various and very beneficial ways with regards to fat loss. Regularly changing up exercise routines will also help to keep this process consistent. This is not the meathead part of me trying to force people to lift and get HUGE. No not at all, but weights are not just for those trying to ‘bulk,’ but they have benefits for all types of people with all types of goals and I think they are frequently overlooked.

Now I’m not saying to never do cardio. There are still benefits to cardio, such as stronger heart and lungs. Sometimes I enjoy a more cardio-based activity, but it is very inconsistent in my personal regiment because that is not my focus. This post is to highlight the fact that including weight training as a focus with a side of cardio has been shown to be a more effective way to reduce fat loss.

Regardless of your goals, some movement is better than no movement, but understanding the effects your chosen activities can have on your body is important as well. Add a little spice to your workouts with some weight activities and you might be pleased with the results you see. What’s the worst that can happen?