If you want to lose weight and “get in shape,” strength training must be a regular part of your exercise routine. Though cardio (otherwise known as aerobic exercise) is imperative and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends 5 days per week of cardio for optimal weight loss, strength training needs to be included if you want to see and feel your body truly transform.
Why is strength training so important?
- It improves balance, coordination, posture, body awareness and self-image.
- It gives “shape” to the muscle, hence the look of a strong and fit body. Cardio, alone, simply cannot provide that “look.”
- It increases bone density, preventing musculo-skeletal disorders such as osteoporosis.
- It improves body composition by increasing lean muscle mass and resting metabolic rate.
Metabolism is the basically the number of calories your body burns throughout the day just to function. The less active and more sedentary we are, the lower our metabolism, the fewer calories we burn overall. This usually translates into weight gain. The more active we are, the greater our metabolism and the more calories are expended on a daily basis.
Muscle tissue is very “metabolically active” – meaning that it requires a lot of calories just to be maintained – the more muscle tissue we have, the greater our metabolism. In other words, we burn more calories throughout the day – even at rest – and this largely contributes to the weight loss process and then maintaining an ideal and healthy body composition.
In order to reap the optimal benefits of muscle conditioning, strength, and fat loss, it is recommended 2-3 times per week.
Source: State of the Heart Fitness