I would venture to say that almost all of you reading this wouldn’t mind being a little bit leaner. Even a tiny bit. Even if you are on the slimmer side and you are trying to put on some pounds, don’t you want that extra weight to be lean muscle? The trick is to stay lean in the long run by prioritizing strength training. Cardio has proven over and over again to help lose fat quickly, but strength training will take your body to the next level.
Aerobic exercise should absolutely be a part of your workout regiment. There are numerous studies that have proven that prolonged bouts of cardio will help you shed pounds, and fat tissue quickly.
I don’t want any of you to misread this article and think that I am putting down aerobic training. My goal is to bring strength training out of the dark, especially for the people who only rely on aerobic training for fat loss.
Doing extended bouts of cardio at a mediocre intensity is not the most efficient way to get lean. The primary source of energy for this type of exercise will be glucose (broken down carbohydrates) in the blood, or glycogen stored in the muscles. Fat is also used, but in lesser amounts. Fat will be naturally burned, because you are using up calories. It will just take longer.
Extreme amounts of cardio may release the hormone cortisol which could play a role in negating muscle growth. It could possible also create a catabolic state in your body which means that things are being broken down to supply your metabolism, including lean muscle tissue.
If you are first starting out, the temptation to just go for a run is very strong. It is probably the simplest thing you can do. Just pick a direction and go. This won’t do anything for building lean muscle though, which brings up our problem.
Lean skeletal muscle is like a motor that is constantly running. When you are exercising at an intense pace then they heat up, use a lot of fuel, and cause your metabolism to roar. Even when they are at rest, they promote some level of increased heat and metabolic activity. Not to mention they provide you with a hard body that looks good at the beach.
If you are trying to get lean, and stay lean, strength training is invaluable. It increases the resting metabolic rate, increases power and performance, and it will break the redundancy of constantly running or any other cardiovascular activity.
When you are first attempting to shed pounds and fat you may not want to step on a scale because it will be misleading. As you train with weights your body will pack on some pounds with lean muscle mass as you lose fat. If you notice that you aren’t losing weight, or if you even gain weight after training like a madman, don’t panic. That is probably the reason why.
To lose fat fast and get lean quickly you have to gain muscle and workout at high intensities. Strength training can be done at high intensities if you reduce your rest, increase weight, and increase reps. Circuit training is a good option.
Cardio should absolutely be a part of the workout routine because it will exercise your heart, and it’s easy to make cardio intense enough to burn fat. Doing intervals with sprints is a really efficient fat burner .
At the end of the day, you can quickly lose fat and pounds by doing only cardio. But if you want to stay lean in the long run, then you have to prioritize strength training. Lean muscle mass will give you a hard body and increase your metabolism so that keeping that figure will be easier. For some ideas on lifting routines check out, 4 Extreme Exercise Routines That Will Put You To The Test. If you like this article then please share it on facebook!
About Adam Pegg
