The BEST type of exercise for weight loss.

A couple of days ago I shared the worst type of exercise for weight loss: long, slow cardio.  You know the type.  Running, cycling, rowing, elliptical, etc…

Is it better than nothing?  Absolutely.

Is it optimal for weight loss?  Absolutely not.

So what’s the best type of exercise for weight loss?  Strength training…and there’s not really a close second.  

First, ‘strength training’ can sound intimidating to some people, especially if they’ve never done strength training.  

For some, it sounds hard metal music and meat heads dropping 600# deadlifts.  That’s one form of strength training but not the type we do at ITS.

Strength training is any type of training that uses resistance to improve muscular strength.   That’s it.  

That resistance could be your body weight, resistance bands, dumbbells, kettlebells, plates, barbells, etc…

The training itself doesn’t have to be heavy to develop strength.  It could be a bodyweight squat or a body weight lunge.  You don’t even have to touch weights necessarily to partake in strength training.

So why is strength training so good for weight loss?  

1. Strength training burns calories.  Genius right?!   But weight loss ultimately comes down to calories in/calories out.
2. Strength training can build muscle.  THE biggest determinant of your rest metabolic rate, or metabolism as we call it, is how much muscle you have.  The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism, the more fat you burn at rest (a.k.a. not working out)
3. If your strength training is set up correctly, it improves joint health.  If your joints feel like death, you’re much less likely to exercise consistently.  When they feel good, you’ll naturally workout more consistently AND be more active in your day to day life.  
4. It improves insulin sensitivity.  Fat synthesis and fat burning are very sensitive to changes in the amount of insulin released in response to eating carbohydrate foods.  Since strength training improves insulin sensitivity, less insulin needs to be released to respond to ingestion of carbohydrates. 
5. Strength training, if set up properly, improves balance.  The better your balance, the more likely you are to be active.
6. Strength training improves confidence.  This might be the most underrated benefit of strength training.  I see it daily at ITS.  As a person’s strength increases, you can see their confidence increase with it. 
7. Strength training improves flexibility/mobility.   This goes hand in hand with joint health.  The better your flexibility/mobility, the better your joint health will be.  Not only that but when you have poor flexibility/mobility, many physical tasks are more difficult, causing you to be less active.  

I could probably think of a few more but you get the idea.  

If you want to lose weight, strength training is your jam.  

Remember, that doesn’t necessarily mean lifting super heavy weights or lifting weights until you can’t walk the next day.  If you do intelligent strength training you’ll improve so many different physical qualities.

Ever stronger!

Coach Levi