How To Build Muscle And Lose Weight

Many people believe that when you exercise or strength train with weights your body changes fat into muscle.

Spoiler alert: this is not true. Fat cells will always be fat cells and muscle is composed of muscle fibers.

What actually happens when you exercise, is you reduce the size and number of fat cells which are then displaced by muscle tissue as your body grows leaner. 💪

Resistance Training Should Be Part Of Your Fitness Program

You can speed up the process of weight loss and become lean by combining a healthy diet with regular exercise and “resistance training” - strength training with weights, kettlebells, resistance bands or your own bodyweight.

You can build lean muscle and lose more fat naturally and safely without drugs or crazy fad diets by picking up a pair of dumbbells.

As you begin adding more muscle, your metabolism will speed up and burn more calories and body fat.

As a bonus, once you reach your weight loss goal, you can then choose to maintain your desired weight or continue to build more muscle and lose more fat.

Benefits Of Strength Training

In addition to fat burning, weight loss, and lean muscles, strength training provides a number of health benefits including:

Bone Density

As we age we lose bone mass (density) which increases our risk of developing osteoporosis and suffering bone breaks from falls.

There is some benefit from added calcium intake through your diet or supplementation. However, bones rebuild and strengthen when you apply external stress aka resistance train. 🏋🏻‍♀️

Metabolism

Sitting on the couch doesn’t burn calories. And unfortunately, calories not used are easily converted to fat stored on your hips and thighs.

When you increase your activity and lift weights, you burn those calories - your muscles will use the glucose (sugar) in your bloodstream and convert that sugar to energy. This help to avoid additional fat storage. 🙌

Prevents Muscle Wasting

As early as age 30 your body begins to lose muscle mass.

This muscle wasting leads to a loss of strength and balance and increases your risk of falls.

Adding some strength training into your weekly routine will help maintain lean muscle mass and slow the rate of muscle loss - regardless of your age or gender.

Immunity

Resistance training can reduce your risk of illness, and may also help to reverse the effects of some chronic diseases.

Lifting weights can improve your cardiovascular health, lowers your blood pressure and protects against a variety of diseases.

It can also increase the number of immune cells that help protect your body against illness and infection.

Sounds Good, How Do I Start?

Your strength training program should include both traditional weight training and bodyweight training to build and shape muscle and burn fat.

Resistance training will increase your strength, prevent or help you recover from injuries, sculpt your body and increase your self-esteem.

Focus on exercises that train your entire body or large muscle GROUPS rather than individual muscles. These exercises are more efficient and train more muscles in less time. ⏰

There are hundreds of exercises, here are a few examples:

Squats - Using your bodyweight, or holding any weights available.

How To: Stand with your feet at hip distance and toes facing straight ahead. Slowly bend your knees and lower your hips while you keep your torso straight as if you are going to sit in an imaginary chair.

Pushups or Bench Press - Perform pushups and pushup variations using your bodyweight or bench presses using a barbell or dumbbells.

How To: Start face down on the floor while balancing on your toes. With your hands underneath your shoulders, push your body up while keeping your body in a straight line then slowly bend your arms and lower your body back to the floor.

Kettlebell Swings - You can perform a variety of exercises with a single kettlebell, swings will train your entire body.

Training Tips - Exercise in front of a mirror if possible to check your form and technique.

When using weights, perform the lifts slowly, this works the muscles instead of letting the momentum do the work for you.

Oh, and don't hold your breath while you're lifting weights!

I hope that these tips were helpful to you and inspire you to start adding some strength training into your weekly fitness routine!

If you want a little guidance and support to help you get the momentum going again, send me a message.

I got you. 💪

For more awesome fitness tips and real talk, come hang out with me on Instagram! I'd love to connect with you over there! 🤗

Lindsay