Have you been running or biking endlessly to lose weight? Is it working? Maybe initially, but now you have hit a plateau? The majority of gym goers have the misconception that in order to lose weight you have to do cardio, cardio and more cardio. You will actually have more success taking weight off by lifting weights in the gym.

When it comes to losing weight, you want to burn as much fuel as possible during an exercise session. The harder the exercise, the more fuel required to complete the exercise. You want to have minimal fuel left after a workout. The problem with cardio and weight loss, is the more you do long duration cardio, the easier it becomes, resulting in less fuel being used to complete the run. Strength training is the exact opposite. The stronger you get the more weight you can lift and the more weight you can lift the more energy it takes to complete the lift. You are expending way more energy lifting moderate to heavy weights than any long duration cardio.

The other key to strength training is the more muscle mass you have, the faster your metabolism will be. Did you know you actually burn more calories throughout the rest of the day after the exercise session compared to during the exercise session? This is called EPOC or Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption. This causes your metabolism to speed up for hours after your session.

Now I know what you are thinking if I lift weights won’t I get big and bulky instead of losing weight since I am building up my muscle? Men may gain size in their muscles, but their bodies will be reshaped to fit your clothes better. Women don’t produce enough testosterone in their bodies to get big and bulky like that unless that is one of your goals. Testosterone is the main muscle-building hormone in the body, which is why it is much easier for main to gain muscle and size. Women however will lose weight without gaining size.

So a great way to incorporate a resistance training routine into your weekly workouts is by using the weight machines in the gym 2-3 times per week. A good repetition range to start with is 10-15 repetitions for 2-3 sets. If you have any questions about how any of the exercise equipment works contact the personal training staff and we can set you up in our Jump Start Program (4 FREE SESSIONS) in order to orient you to some of the new equipment.