Strength training: the key to losing weight

In order to lose weight it is necessary to create a calorie deficit, i.e. to burn more calories than you consume. To achieve this, it is usually necessary to follow a balanced diet and do physical exercise, but what is the most effective exercise?

Although people tend to think that cardiovascular exercise is best for weight loss, strength training is actually most effective.

Strength training

This type of training, also called hypertrophy, consists of doing weight exercises, either using the weight of your body or weights. There are numerous ways to do this exercise, depending on your ultimate goal: gaining muscle mass, strength, stamina, burning off fat, etc.

This type of physical activity is considered effective for fat burning and weight loss because:

• The increase in muscle mass raises your basal metabolic rate, i.e. the amount your body uses when you are at rest, which helps you burn calories and therefore fat.
• It raises your heart rate, increasing energy expenditure.
• It helps to strengthen your bones, muscles and tendons, improving your health.
• It prevents injuries and improves your body posture, helping to keep you in perfect physical shape.
• It gives you strength and stamina, making you feel nimbler and more energetic.
• It produces endorphins and improves your mood.
• It boosts your immune system, improving your health.

With this in mind, in order to lose weight we recommend doing high-intensity strength training (HIIT, Tabata, circuits, etc.) that also uses your large muscle groups. When performed in circuits, these will be more effective as they will increase the body’s oxygen consumption and energy expenditure (fat burning).

For example, a basic fat-loss focused routine that you can do at home involves completing 15 to 25 repetitions of each of the following exercises, with 3 or 4 laps of the circuit:

• Squats.
  
•  Push-ups.

• Planks.

• Suspension rowing.

• Lunges.

As explained above, your calorie deficit will determine how much weight you can lose, and ideally you should combine strength training with cardiovascular training. This will increase your calorie expenditure, which, if combined with a diet that is tailored to achieving your goal, will produce great results.