Can I Lose Weight by Lifting Weights Only?

Many people often wonder about what it would take to help them lose their body weight effectively. It is often a matter of doubt for many people whether lifting weights or controlling their daily diet would be enough to lose body weight effectively. But do you know that in many cases, weight loss would be possible simply through weightlifting? Read this article till the end to get an idea about the methods in which lifting weights can help lose body weight.

Logic behind weight loss through weight lifting:

Some people undergo weight and strength training, not only to lose body weight, but also to develop a healthy physique. But many experts and trainers these days are claiming that simply doing weight and strength training in a proper scientific method can help you lose body weight effectively. Apart from doing your cardio exercises (especially those that involve running, swimming, biking, and so on), many people in the present times are going for strength training, which involves weight lifting. Alongside this, for reducing your body weight, it is important for you to burn calories through rigorous weightlifting and training sessions.

What is all about weight training exercises?

Weight training sessions may include weightlifting, which can be beneficial for you to reduce your body weight and develop a healthy and muscular physique. Though weight training sessions will not be able to make you lose as much weight as it is possible through cardio exercises or through general calorie loss procedures, these weight lifting procedures are helpful for giving a proper shape to the body.

What happens when you do strength training is that your body is likely to lose weight as a result of the after-burn. This happens because when you are lifting weights or when you are doing strength training exercises, there are certain types of micro tears that develop in the muscle fibers.

Thus, this procedure helps in healthy muscle building, because after the workout is completed, the body starts working on the repair of the tears that have been formed during the strength training session, almost at once, and this forms a major part of the workout.

How can strength training and weight lifting cause weight loss?

Many might find it difficult to believe, but strength training exercises and performing simple weightlifting in the correct ways can be truly beneficial for healthy weight loss. There are certain ways in which weightlifting can lead to weight loss, the most common of which are listed below:

1. More lean muscle can burn more calories:

There is a direct relationship between the lean muscles and the number of calories that are burned by the body for weight loss. Weight lifting and strength training will not only reduce body weight by burning enough calories, but will also aid in building muscles. And more muscle tissue would ensure better weight loss, because these tissues are more metabolically active than the fat tissues that are found in the body, and this will allow the body to burn more calories.

Thus, it will also help in better weight loss, even when the body is in a position of rest. The more muscle mass you develop through weight lifting, there will be higher the chances that the body will burn more calories from your body naturally for better fat loss.

2. The fat loss against weight loss:

When you perform strength training and weightlifting sessions, your body is not only undergoing healthy weight management, but you are also reducing the unhealthy fats from your body. Moreover, if you are into weight lifting exercises, you are more likely to develop a lean and toned appearance, because these practices help increase the muscle mass, which can help with better muscle building.

In case of strength training, the body gets a message that you are not trying to reduce your muscle mass, so the body tries to extract the excess and unnecessary fats from the body. This helps you in two ways: one, you get to develop a well-built and muscular body after properly doing the weight lifts and strength training, and secondly, the negative and excess amounts of fat that were stored in the body can be removed for giving you a better shape.

3. The after-burn effect of strength training:

It might feel like you are not burning high amounts of fat when it comes to weight lifting and doing strength training. But if you try to analyze closely, you will be able to understand that after the workout sessions are over, the body manages healthy weight reduction through the after-burn effect. The body keeps on burning calories after the weight lifting and strength training are over, and there are continuous processes and metabolisms going on in the body for muscle repair and rebuilding to happen continuously. These processes help in enhancing the overall burning of calories, which aids in weight reduction, unlike cardio exercises.

4. Managing your appetite:

If you are planning to lose your body weight, then you should be mindful of your appetite and the amount of food you are consuming. If you are burning excessive amounts of calories, then there will be chances that it can make you have a greater appetite and can lead to increased intake of foods. So, many experts recommend weight lifting as a simpler and alternative method for weight management, other than cardio exercises. This is because, when you are doing weight lifting or strength training, you are less likely to burn high levels of calories in a short period. This aids in better and more effective utilization of calories in the body.

How do you lose weight by weightlifting?

There are certain steps that you may need to follow to reduce your body weight through weightlifting. Some of the most common methods are listed below:

1. Lift weights 2 to 3 times per week:

The number of times you lift weights often matters for strength training and reducing weight through weightlifting. If you are a beginner, you must start by lifting weights at least twice per week. This will help in benefiting some of the major muscles of the body, such as the shoulders, chest, legs, back, and so on. If you keep doing this weightlifting three times a week and provide enough muscular stress, then there will be chances of proper weight management and effective muscle building.

2. Increase your non-exercise activity:

Many strength trainers advise people to increase their non-exercise activity or NEAT for better weight management through weightlifting. For calculating this, one needs to measure your step count. For beginners, a count of around 6 to 8 thousand per day can be good enough. Once you start achieving this goal, you can easily move towards 10K.

3. Check the daily calorie and macro-nutrient consumption:

Apart from doing weight training 2 to 3 times a week, a person should track their daily calorie intake when it comes to weight reduction. You know the amount of calories that you are taking in so that you can lose your body weight. Moreover, you must also track the amounts of carbohydrates, fats, protein, or macronutrients in your diet alongside healthy weight training.

4. Increase the frequency of workouts:

Many weight trainers advise people who are weightlifting to increase their frequency of workout sessions, if possible. This should be particularly done when a person is finding it difficult, even after doing weightlifting and checking the amount of calorie intake. You can add another weight training session to your schedule and make better lean muscles leaner. This is effective because when you are adding at least 1 to 2 more weightlifting sessions each week and continue this for up to around 6 weeks, you are increasing your energy expenditure and preserving your lean muscle mass, which will help form a better physique.

Conclusion:

To conclude, it is always possible to lose your body weight by simply undergoing weight training exercises. When you are doing weightlifting, unlike cardio exercises, you are losing the excess amounts of fat that have been stored within the body, and thus the body develops a healthy physical appearance. In cases of weightlifting, it is always advisable for you to consult with your trainer first about the frequencies of training and weightlifting schedules, so that you do not develop any side effects.