Does Weight Training Burn Fat?

Most personal trainers and health gurus will probably tell you that aerobic exercises are the best way to burn fat. So does weight training make you burn fat too? Weight training (anaerobic exercise) is primarily focused on building muscle mass. Aerobic exercising is focused on raising your heart rate, increasing endurance and elevating your metabolism. So which is the best for burning fat?

Combining Strength Training with Cardio

The best way to actually burn fat is to combine strength training with cardiovascular activities. Cardio will force your metabolism to speed up during your exercise routine and for a short time after. Weight training does the same, but will actually increase the amount of muscle you have, which can increase your overall metabolism for longer periods following your training.

Your muscles require a certain amount of energy to function properly. Increasing your overall muscle mass will increase your metabolism by requiring more energy from your body. When your body requires more energy, more of the calories you consume will go towards maintaining your muscle mass and less will be stored as fat.

How Fat is Burned AFTER Your Workout

Even after your strength training workout is over, your metabolism is raised and your body is using additional energy resources to repair and recover your damaged muscles. Strength training creates tiny microscopic tears in your muscles fibers which in turn need to be repaired by the body. Your body is calling for additional protein to repair the damaged muscle tissue, carbohydrates to replenish depleted glycogen, and calories to fuel the growth and recovery process.

Performing a cardiovascular workout on your days off from weight training is a great way to burn fat and complement your training routine. When you combine cardio with strength training you will be increasing your metabolism while you’re exercising as well as while you’re resting after. This one-two punch combo is a great way to burn body fat and get in shape fast.

Gradual Weight Loss to Maximize Muscle Growth

Most people will tell you that losing weight while gaining muscle is impossible. This is mainly because as you build muscle, your body will require additional calories to grow muscle. When you increase your caloric intake to achieve gains in muscle mass it becomes difficult to burn body fat. This is why it’s so important to incorporate cardiovascular workouts into your strength training program if you plan to lose weight while you add lean mass.

It’s important to avoid cutting back on calories while you’re strength training, even if you want to lose weight. When you starve your body you can actually lose muscle mass rather than gaining it. Not only that, but you will be much more likely to regain any weight you lose if you choose to cut back on your daily calories significantly.

In this case, slow and steady wins the race. You should focus on minimal fat loss while you build your muscle mass.