Most people think of cardio when it comes to exercising to lose fat. That’s because running, biking, or any other form of intense aerobic exercise helps to burn calories, as well as raise the body’s metabolism.
But there are new studies out that show weight training to be better at raising your resting metabolic rate, which is the rate at which you burn calories at rest. This may mean that the best way to burn off unwanted fat is by building muscle in the gym.
There is one requirement for weight training to be effective at raising the metabolism. The weight lifting must be very intense to produce a drastic increase in resting metabolic rate.
Lifting light weights or exercising for too short a time can diminish the results. You need to do 3 to 4 sets per exercise and do an average of 6 to 8 reps for each.
This ensures that each major muscle group is trained intensely. In the studies, it was shown that the test subjects resting metabolic rate was still elevated, on average 21%, even 24 hours after the workout.
It appears weight training can release hormones like growth hormone and norepinephrine that assist in the fat burning process.
Also, removing the lactic acids that’s built up through heavy weight training also requires calorie expenditure.
Finally, the muscle building process of repairing damaged muscle tissue caused by weight lifting can also burn more calories.
Building muscle itself will increase resting metabolic rate, since muscle tissue burns far more calories at rest than fat.
So the more lean muscle mass you have, the higher the resting metabolism. That’s why building muscle through weight training is also a way to lose unwanted body fat.
The best way to lose fat is to combine cardio with weight training, to create a synergistic effect in which both work together to burn calories.
So if you’re currently trying to lose some fat, try to focus on building muscle as well, through weight training, so you can raise your metabolism and burn more calories at rest.
Shawn Lebrun
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/losing-body-fat-by-building-muscle-10475.html
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Wes
October 30, 2009 at 5:00 pm
I am working on losing body fat and building muscle, is whey protein a good idea?
I am 5′10 205 lbs. and have been working out regularly with tons of cardio. I want to lose body fat but build muscle. I don’t want to become huge but have muscle and tone. Is using whey protein a good supplement to use? I am currently using Bio Heat and Bio Burn along with a good diet to burn fat. I would like to be about 180lbs. Is taking the Whey going to prevent me from losing weight?
minervabnu
October 30, 2009 at 10:02 pm
A well balanced diet is good. Not just a high protein one.
Check these:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft%3A*%3AIE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7SUNA&q=a+balanced+diet&btnG=Search
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pharmtechkal
October 30, 2009 at 10:04 pm
it shouldn’t, protein is what you need to build muscle, advice for you, don’t use any products not tested by the FDA like GNC product, whey protein is ok tho, if you take a GNC type weight loss product, you will ONLY lose water weight which will come back ifyou stop taking that product. GNC products are made to be taking all your life, STAY AWAY FROM GNC PRODUCTS!
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rae
October 30, 2009 at 10:06 pm
I have heard that whey protein is one of the most easily digestible proteins,so it is probably a good one to use.Sounds like you are on the right track.
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Sadie
October 30, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Read the book the Abs Diet, by David Zinckzenco. (He’s the editor of Men’s Health) He spends quite a bit of time talking about the benefits of whey protein for building muscle while losing fat, particularly in the stomach area.
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poison_ivy_sam
October 30, 2009 at 10:10 pm
not much
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Tyler B
October 30, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Ya know, It depends on if this is the only protein source you are getting or not. Humans really don’t need as much protein as we believe. So it depends on how much you are using.
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sarge927
October 30, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Short answer: YES, whey protein is a good idea. More protein in your diet will help you lose weight because protein takes more energy to digest, but of course too much of anything is bad for you. If you want to lose weight you should get at least 180g of protein into your diet every day (205g, or 1g of protein per pound of body weight, would be better) and your caloric intake should probably be around 2,000 to 2,200 calories per day. Be sure to get good sources of healthy fat into your diet too. Best sources are: avocadoes, eggs, fish, fish oil, flax seed, flax seed oil, nuts (any kind, but almonds are best) and olive oil. Good luck!
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lv_consultant
October 30, 2009 at 10:16 pm
increasing protein intake is definetly a good idea when on a fat reduction diet.
don’t worry you don’t get huge from whey protein, it is not that easy.
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BS Exercise Science
IFPA Certified Master Trainer
25+ years of resistance training experience
17 years of martial arts training