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Lift Weight to Lose Weight!

Writer's picture: Suzanna - Motivated HealthSuzanna - Motivated Health

The key to reducing your body size could be through regular and consistent strength training, whatever age you are. Many women avoid lifting weights because they fear becoming bulky and believe the myth that cardio is essential for weight loss. In reality, for most women, bulking up is nearly impossible. While cardio is important for heart and general health, strength training offers greater benefits for your workout efforts, and should form part of your weekly activity (as well as cardio). The one caveat...if you have any underlying health conditions, always get the all clear from your GP / Medical doctor before starting an exercise programme.


4 women in sports bras of different sizes - Lift Weight to Lose Weight - Motivated Health

Strength training enhances your metabolism, decreases body fat, and sculpts your physique, making you appear smaller and firmer. Indeed, if you want to slim down, lifting weights is a great option.



Worried that lifting heavy weights will make you look too bulky?


Highly unlikely! Here's why: Just as you lose weight by maintaining a calorie deficit, you gain weight, including muscle, by consuming excess calories and engaging in consistent, long-term heavy weight training. To develop significant muscles, you would need to eat large amounts and train intensively for years. Bodybuilders achieve their competition physiques through dedicated diet and exercise over a long period.


Strong woman's back, a bodybuilder - Lift Weight to Lose Weight - Motivated Health
You will not get bulky like this without some serious dedication to specific training and your diet!


So dismiss the idea that lifting some weights three times a week will make you bulky. Improving your diet and incorporating weights into your routine won't make you resemble the Hulk. In fact, lifting will do the opposite of making you look bulky. It increases lean muscle mass, helping you tone your body, shed fat, and shape the body you desire. Strength training enhances what you naturally have.



How does weight training burn more calories?


Weight training supports and enhances your metabolism by continuing to use energy to repair muscle fibers after your workout. Studies show that a full-body workout involving three large muscle groups can elevate your metabolism for up to 48 hours post-exercise. This means you'll burn more calories even while resting.


Woman doing a lunge with dumbbells - Lift Weight to Lose Weight - Motivated Health

With cardio, you benefit from calorie burning during the workout and for an hour or less afterward. Your metabolism returns to normal quicker than with strength training, so although you burn more during the workout, you burn less overall. Building muscle leads to greater calorie burn. It's important to combine this with a healthy diet also though!



Lose fat, not muscle.


When aiming to lose weight, the goal is to lose fat. To do so, a calorie deficit is necessary, which is essentially an energy deficit. When your body depletes food energy, it uses stored energy. The goal is to burn fat, not muscle, which is achieved by maintaining or increasing strength during weight loss.


Burn fat in letters on a plate - Lift Weight to Lose Weight - Motivated Health

To increase strength, you need to lift more. Research consistently shows that those who combine resistance training with reduced caloric intake lose more fat than those who only do aerobic (cardio) exercises. Building muscle while burning calories helps signal your body to target fat stores instead.



Sculpt that body!


One of the greatest benefits of lifting weights is the ability to shape your body. We all have areas we want to improve or highlight. Strength training allows you to target those areas specifically.


Want toned arms? There’s an exercise for that. Not fond of your flat, wobbly bottom? There's an exercise for that to! Weights let you train for the body you desire.


Woman doing a tricep exercise with a dumbbell - Lift Weight to Lose Weight - Motivated Health

Many spend hours on cardio machines to lose unwanted fat, but the real secret to a great physique is building muscle. Squats and deadlifts can lift and tone your bottom more effectively than time on the stair climber. Shoulder presses and pull-ups define your arms and back, making sleeveless tops a staple in your wardrobe, not something to be loathed. Muscle defines the figure.


Anyone who has tried to lose weight knows that fat occupies more space than muscle. Maybe think of fat being more fluffy. A pound weighs the same whether it’s fat or muscle, but muscle is 18% denser, so it takes up less space. This means two women weighing 120 lbs can look entirely different; the one who lifts weights is smaller.


Dumbells and resistance band - Lift Weight to Lose Weight - Motivated Health

We all aim to be our fittest. We want firm, healthy bodies that make us feel smaller, stronger, and more attractive. Who doesn’t love fitting into their favourite jeans? The best way to reach that goal is to lift weights. Don’t overthink it. If weight machines intimidate you, start with squats, push-ups, and lunges, and start slowly, plus listen to your body. Maybe add dumbbells. Consider watching reputable online videos. As your confidence grows, you’ll likely feel more comfortable trying new things. Starting strength training at home with milk jugs and resistance bands is perfectly fine, you don't need lots of expensive kit. If you're new to all of this then maybe consider a couple of sessions with a personal trainer. If you do fancy going to a local gym, then you should be given a thorough induction to show you how to safely use weights. Just begin slowly and keep steadily progressing.


The ACSM do a great guide on how to choose and safely use 'free weights' if you're looking to start at home, or in the gym. Also please remember that strength training is recommended for everyone, 2 days a week, whatever age you are!



Woman doing a lunge on an exercise mat with dumbbells - Lift Weight to Lose Weight - Motivated Health


Please note: This article is intended to be for educational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice or replace professional assessment or personalised advice.


I do not hold responsibility for the information on any links to external websites within this article and information within these links/websites may change at any time or no longer be accessible. Any website pages/links added are also for education purposes only.



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The information on this website is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. This information is not intended as a substitute for the advice or medical care of a qualified health care professional and you should seek the advice of your health care professional before undertaking any dietary or lifestyle changes. The material provided is for educational purposes only and may be used as a general guide for you to change habits and behaviours in order to lead a healthier lifestyle for a better future. The scope of this practice is as a health, wellness and healthy weight coach.

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