Can You Burn Body Fat With Weights?

By Russ Howe


If you have ever asked someone to explain how to burn body fat, the chances are slim that weight training came up in the list of responses.

But the fact is, resistance training has been scientifically proven to elevate our body's fat burning ability.

In fact, resistance training has been clinically proven across many scientific research studies to be highly effective for burning body fat - even more than cardiovascular exercise!

H.I.R.T. is the name given to the style of resistance training we will be discussing today. This is not pretty, but it is very effective!

However, if you want to burn fat you do not need to do endless reps with light weights. This does go against the gym myths from decades before us, but clinical studies prove that pushing yourself with heavier weights and for fewer reps will yield greater results for you. So dispel any thoughts of fitness classes which encourage you to lift empty barbells and ankle weights. To get the most from resistance training, we must go heavier.

Whenever we lift weights we create an anabolic response which tells the body to use carbohydrates as our main fuel source during training.

Many people blindly reject this style of training when they see carbs as the main fuel because they want to be focusing on burning fat. That is their mistake.

The whole process is known as E.P.O.C. or the after burn effect. By using carbs to fuel our hard gym work, the body then becomes very protective of our few remaining carb stores while we refuel after a workout. But it must burn something in order to help the body continue to function. That's when we switch to losing body fat!

Carbohydrates may be the main macronutrient we use while we are training, but the moment we reach the end of our workout everything begins to change. Fat is then promoted as our primary fuel - and this phenomenon, known as the after burn effect, can last for up to sixteen hours!

But how do you actually do this style of training?



The reason most people believe weight lifting is purely for bodybuilding purposes is because most people follow a bodybuilding routine without realizing it. Take a look the next time you train. How many people are lifting a weight for eight to twelve reps? How many are sitting for one-to-two minutes resting after each set? The answer is too many. That's normal gym procedure for the masses.

But it is not H.I.R.T. and it is not the most effective training style for fat loss.

Put two or even four exercises together into a series of mini circuits throughout your workout. Avoid performing single set exercises followed by two minutes checking your phone or updating your social media status. Perform exercises back-to-back without rest, reducing your workload time but improving your productivity.

Studies confirm that not only is H.I.R.T. great for fat loss, it is even superior to aerobic cardio exercise. Given that this is by far the most popular training method in mainstream gyms today, there are a lot of people reading this article who will have just discovered valuable new training information. Have fun implementing it.




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