Weight training or strength training as it is known sometimes, is a great way to lose weight. Many people especially women resist the idea due to fears of getting bulky. In fact if you weight train correctly then there is no evidence to suggest that it could make you bulky or butch. There is a world of difference between bulking up and toning up. And since you are looking to lose weight from burning fat rather than adding weight from gaining muscle. Toning then is the key.
How Do You Weight Train For Toning?
Weight training for bulk or size is generally using heavy weights and performing a few repetitions. In other words, you start with small weights and work your way up. Using heavier and heavier weights will create large and large muscles. Toning however is the opposite of this. You are using small weights and performing a higher amount of repetitions. By doing this you are stretching the muscles and working them to their limits. But not pushing them so hard that they have to tear. Tearing the muscles and the subsequent regrowth is the fundamental basis for body building. As long as you avoid this you should never have to worry about bulking up.
If you can afford to join a membership gym then great. But sometimes you just don't have the money or time. So how can you strength train at home? One of the simplest ways it to perform sit ups or crunches. Finding a level space with a matt or towel to cushion your back, then locking your feet under something rigid. This helps build torso abdominal muscles and while this alone wont make you look good, it builds and tones muscles tissue. And muscles burn calories.
Some of the worlds top body-builders consume up to 10,000 calories per day just to maintain the muscle they have. Compared to 2,000 for the average man. The more muscle you have the more it needs to be fed. So if you build tone muscle, it will consume fat even as you sleep.
Oblivious you need to keep your foods high in protein. So chicken and tuna based dishes are the order of the day. But also some beans and pulses contain a lot of good natural proteins for those vegetarians. You could even use an all natural weight loss pill to stimulate fat loss. This little trick could push your weight loss to the point where your metabolism kicks in. And this is the fun part. Once your metabolic rate is reset to a higher level, you will continue to lose weight even on your cheat days.
