5 Tips for Losing Fat and Toning Up
Losing weight and inches, and keeping the flab off, requires following a time-tested regime of eating less and exercising more. Here are 5 steps to follow to lose fat and tone up your body!
1. Lighten Your Load: Lift Weights to Lose Weight
Before your eyes glaze over at the idea of weightlifting, keep in mind that it takes just a few short sessions of resistance training each week to improve muscle tone by adding lean tissue.
Weight training helps you build muscle which turns your body into a fat burning machine since each pound of muscle you make burns about 30 to 50 more calories than a pound of fat which burns only 3 to 5 calories—a tenfold increase!
Strength training accomplishes a number of other health benefits too, including lower blood pressure, improved resting metabolism, increased bone density, better posture, less back pain, and enhanced performance in sports.
Use Correct Form for Safety and Maximum Benefit
Be careful: resistance and strength training exercises like deadlifts, good mornings, and rows can injure your back if done improperly. Make sure you don’t swing the weights and always maintain good posture throughout any exercise—back straight, shoulders back, chest out, butt tight, abs tucked, eyes front, feet comfortably apart, legs straight but knees flexed, breathe right, and lift slowly. Now, how hard is that to remember? Too much? Perhaps you should work with a certified physical trainer to get started out right…
2. Spend Time with a Trainer
Seriously, if you’re new to resistance training the best advice is to work with a professional trainer for a few sessions who will make sure you use good orm. You’ll learn safety tips as well as how to avoid injury, and you’ll be introduced to the variations of all the lifts mentioned above. Even old gym rats who’ve been working with weights for years but have become bored or have reached a plateau will find that a trainer can suggest new workouts to get them motivated. A fitness expert will also take the time to discuss with you the importance of nutrition and cardio in achieving your goals.
3. Proper Diet is a Must
Working with weights is only one aspect of getting and staying fit. Free weights can help you build muscles but it takes a caloric deficit to show them! I’ve seen guys and women at the gym workout and sweat and really put in the time. But the trouble is – they are as fat now as they ever were. Sure, they are healthy – resistance training will do that, but they clearly keep shoveling in an excess amount of calories week after week. Getting fit and trim requires cutting down on calories. Like the old saying goes – weight loss begins in the kitchen, not the gym.
4. Diet + Resistance Training + CARDIO = Success
You’ll get fitter faster when you add the one-two punch of good nutrition and cardiovascular exercise which will help expose your new muscles. If you’ve been lifting weights and don’t see ripped abs or other beautifully developed muscles yet, chances are they are there — they’re just buried under a blanket of body fat. But don’t worry, you don’t have to go near the aerobics studio if that doesn’t appeal to you — cardio can consist of fun things such as walking, dancing, biking, inline skating, swimming, or any type of activity that promotes heart and lung wellness. Do 3 to 5 sessions of cardio every week, for at least 30 to 60 minutes per workout.
5. Motivation: Lift Weights. Lose Weight. Feel Great!
One of the biggest advantages of working with weights is that you’ll see and feel changes of strength in your body within the first few sessions and that’s a great motivation to keep going. Success breeds success! The results are nothing short of amazing, life-changing transformations that can also have a profound impact on your mental and emotional health. It just makes sense that the stronger you are, the easier everyday tasks can be and the more enjoyment you’ll get out of life.
Tags: benefits of cardio training, Resistance Training, weightlifting