You don't have to become a body builder to
utilize muscle building for fat loss. Not
everyone wants to end up looking like Arnold
Swarzenegger in the 1977 documentary film
'Pumping Iron'! But adding muscle actually helps
your body
burn fat faster.
Increasing the amount of muscle on your body
also helps create a lean, toned appearance.
You'll be stronger, more flexible and those
muscles will help support other body structures
like joints.
When practicing muscle building
for fat loss, it is important to keep in mind
that you might not lose weight as rapidly as you
would with cardio exercise alone. This is
because you will be replacing fatty tissue with
muscle and muscle actually weighs more than fat
(hence a BMI reading for extremely athletic
people being inaccurate). However, as mentioned
above, you will be burning fat more rapidly.
Thankfully, overweight individuals will still
experience weight loss. Whether you do weight
training or not, your body fat percentage will
dramatically reduce, and your hips, thighs and
waist will become smaller.
When you decide to incorporate muscle
building exercises to your daily schedule, start
with a low amount of weight and a high number of
repetitions. When you see bulky men in the gym
lifting weights - they are building bulk. To
build bulk you need a heavier weight, with fewer
repetitions. Smaller weights with higher
repetitions lead to long, lean muscle and an
attractively toned appearance.
If you are using muscle building for fat
loss, it is crucially important that you
practice healthy eating habits. Doing a gym
workout then going home and loading up on candy,
cookies and chips is unhealthy and counter
productive in the sense that it will undo the
hard work you just did in the gym. You have to
remember that it is easier to avoid gaining
weight in the first place than it is to lose it
once you have gained it.
Muscle building will also have many other
healthy benefits. As your core muscles become
stronger your posture will improve. Strain on
joints will be reduced which has a significant
effect on ease of movement and can even reduce
discomfort in those who suffer from arthritis.
Your energy levels will increase. And you will
be able to do more cardiovascular exercise as
your body is strengthened. It will also become
easier to exercise as your strength increases.
You may experience significant muscle
soreness when you first start incorporating
muscle building for fat loss into your daily
schedule. This can be reduced by stretching
before and after your workout. If you have a gym
membership, make use of the sauna and hot tub
after your workout. If exercising at home a hot
bath will relieve the muscular aches almost as
well. In time your hard work will pay big
dividends! Decreasing your body fat percentage
will improve your overall health. You will be
improving your posture, and building a stronger,
healthier body. It's a proven fact - muscle
building for fat loss works!
