3 Fat Loss Strength Training Exercises
by Yuri in Fitness Training
I’ve said it a million times and I’ll say it again – long-term fat loss boils down to creating a lean body through strength training – not low intensity cardio!
Strength training is necessary for burning fat because it stimulates the development of muscle. When your body has more muscle it burns more calories due to the inherent rise in metabolic rate. However, you should keep in mind that if you want to lose weight (and thus fat) the numbers on the scale may not initially reflect a drop in weight. That’s because muscle weighs more than fat. But over time, your body will transform and the differences will be very noticeable.
Now, in order to achieve the physical transformations that come about as your body burns more fat, strength training exercises need to be a regular part of your training program. And specifically, you are best to use full body movements that recruit a lot of muscle. Doing so increases the energy demands of your workouts, which means that you’ll be burning more calories!
So, with that in mind, here are 3 of my favourite full body fat loss strength training exercises:
1. Squat Press
This can be done with dumbbells or with a barbell. The beauty of this exercise is that it involves every single pushing muscle in your body and requires you to lift the weight over a great distance – from the floor to above your head. The result – challenging movement that spikes your heart rate, burns calories, and strengthens your entire body.
2. Dumbbell (or Kettlebell) Swings
Yet another fantastic fat loss exercise. This exercise involves holding a dumbbell (or kettlebell) between your legs and slightly behind your hips. Then with an explosive upwards push from the legs and driving force of the hips, the weight is propelled to eye height. This is an explosive movement that is very helpful for strengthening the lower body. Too make a fat burning catalyst try choosing a heavy weight and cranking out 30 seconds worth of swings. You’ll definitely feel these ones!Â
3. Lunge Walks w/ Biceps Curls
This is a deceptive exercise. It is absolutely deadly when done with the proper weight (ie. allowing no more than about 20 reps) as it involves the big muscles of the legs, the core, and arms. It is performed by going into your lunge and doing a biceps curl at the bottom (not the top). Again, more muscles working means more energy required = more calories burned.
There you have it – 3 strength training exercises for burning fat that you will want to throw into your workouts if you’re serious about fat loss. So put the small “muscle-focused” exercises aside and train large “movements” and the results will speak for themselves.
YURI
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