The best way to lose fat is with a proper combination of weight training and cardio along with a balanced diet. The very act of weight lifting can affect fat loss by increasing both the number of calories burned by your body during and long after the workout. Strength training for fat loss does not have to be all that different from strength training for muscle mass or maximal strength. Our muscles are metabolically active tissues, meaning they are located in your body where stored fat is burned. More muscles require more energy which is provided by burning excess fat.
The best exercises for fat loss are the ones that recruit larger muscles and work multiple muscle groups at a time because they use the most energy to perform. These exercises involve squats, deadlifts, rowing, snatches or bench press and are known as compound movements.
Strength Training Movements for Fat Loss:
While a variety of exercises are best, there are some basic exercises that you can include to aid fat loss. The best movements for fat loss are the ones that recruit larger muscles and work multiple muscle groups at a time because they use the most energy to perform. These exercises involve squats, deadlifts, rowing, snatches or bench press and are known as compound movements. Research suggests that the use of free weight, multi-joint movements like squats, bench presses, shoulder presses and bent-over rows will burn more calories than machine and cardio exercise. This is likely because compound exercises use other muscles such as those that assist the target muscles and stabiliser muscles. Secondly, moderate weight lifting with proper execution is completely injury free as humans are generally good at moving heavy weights.
Rep-Speed and Volume for Fat Loss:
The weight you train with and the number of reps you can complete has a major effect on fat burn. To burn more calories, higher reps do the trick. However, if two guys are lifting different weights, the heavy lifter will burn more calories in the resting phase, as he has exhausted his muscles the most, and will have a higher high rate performing the exercise also. The total number of sets you do is also directly proportional to fat loss. Increase in exercise volume also helps in increasing muscle size. As a general rule, doing 15-20 sets per workout burns more fat than doing sets under 15.
Exercise intensity and training frequency for more fat loss:
Another thing regarding strength training for maximising fat loss is the use of intensity techniques for performing the exercise after passing the point of failure. If someone passes the point of failure by some assistance or intentional cheating, their body releases growth hormone which does many wonders for our body along with fat loss (lipolysis).
How often you train the muscle group can also have an impact on fat loss, more workouts during the week equals more calories burned. Longer sessions of weight lifting can increase the calories burned also promoting more fat loss in our body.
