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THE Most Effective Method For Losing Body Fat
MuscleWiki SEZC
September 06, 2024
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Hey there,
Welcome back! We’re continuing our deep dive into how you can finally lose the body fat you’ve been struggling with for years. Last time, we covered how body fat loss works on a physiological level. Today, we’re getting down to the nitty-gritty. You’ve probably heard a million methods for shedding body fat, but I’m here to give you the best one—backed by solid research.
Ready for it? The most effective method for losing body fat is… lifting weights.
I know this might sound counterintuitive. You’ve probably been told that cardio is the ultimate fat-burning workout. But let me explain why weight lifting actually outperforms cardio for body fat loss.
Why Lifting Weights is Better Than Cardio for Fat Loss
When you compare weight lifting to cardio for losing body fat, lifting weights wins. Most people think cardio burns more calories and therefore more fat because it keeps yo
ur heart rate elevated for longer. And while it’s true that you burn more calories and fat during a cardio session than lifting weights, that’s not the whole story.
In fact, one review of 64 studies concluded that “the effect of regular aerobic exercise on body fat is negligible.” The amount of fat burned in a typical cardio session is often no more than 10 grams—and there are 454 grams in a pound!
But let’s go beyond just the workout itself. An hour of cardio does burn more calories than an hour of lifting weights. However, burning calories does not always mean burning fat. Calories are just a unit of energy, not fat.
The Secret: Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)
Here’s where lifting weights really shines. Remember how we talked about Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) last time? REE, also known as Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), is the number of calories you burn at rest—while watching a movie or playing video games. Wouldn’t it be great if we could increase the number of calories we burn while doing nothing? This is where resistance training comes in.
Studies have shown that individuals with more muscle mass have an average of 14% higher RMR than their less muscular counterparts. That means they can consume more calories while still maintaining a caloric deficit, making fat loss easier.
And you don’t have to get super muscular for this to work. One study found that men aged 50-65 increased their RMR by 7.7% in just 8 weeks of resistance training—even though their overall weight stayed the same. They lost fat and gained muscle, which resulted in a higher metabolism.
Long-Term Benefits: Weight Lifting vs. Cardio
Still not convinced? A 12-year study with 10,500 participants compared waist circumference and body weight changes for those who did weight training vs. cardio. The results? The weight training group saw a greater reduction in waist circumference, while the cardio group lost more weight. This is because the cardio training group lost both fat AND muscle. While the lifting group only lost body fat.
It’s also why Body Mass Index (BMI) isn’t a good measure for those who lift weights. Someone could be classified as “overweight” by BMI but have a low body fat percentage and high muscle mass.
The Problem with "Eat Less, Move More"
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Eat less, move more.” While it sounds reasonable, it’s oversimplified and not always practical. The reality is that the most important predictor of diet success is adherence—how well someone can stick to the diet over time. And the biggest predictor of adherence? Hunger.
The problem with “eat less” advice is that as you lose weight, your metabolism slows down, requiring you to eat even less to continue losing fat. If cardio is your only form of exercise, you’ll need to do longer sessions or eat less and less, neither of which is sustainable.
The Sustainable Approach: Lift Weights
What if you could eat more and still lose fat? That’s the advantage of lifting weights. It allows you to maintain muscle, boost your metabolism, and burn more calories at rest, all while eating more food.
So, if you’re serious about losing body fat and keeping it off, start lifting weights. It’s not just about burning calories during exercise; it’s about building a body that burns more calories all day long.
Stay tuned for more tips and strategies on achieving your fitness goals!
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