The 3 Main Benefits of Strength Training for Fat Loss

Strength training forms a part of all our fat loss programmes here at Fighting Fit, along with mobility work, core training and conditioning / fitness work.

Fat loss is of course first and foremost a dietary issue more than a training one; something we are quick to educate all our clients on when they first join us. The old adage is true - you really can't out train a bad diet.

That being said, training is an important addition to the process for a whole host of reasons, including a range of benefits such as improved bone density to improved glucose tolerance, not to mention the benefits that just being stronger brings in general.

However, there are 3 main benefits to strength training for fat loss that the majority of our clients can appreciate and relate to. Check them out below, in no particular order:

1.) It Speeds The Process Up

Whilst diet is number 1 in the fat loss realm, strength training without doubt speeds the process up and make sit easier. This is due primarily to the effect strength training has on both short-term and long term metabolism.

Metabolic resistance training has been shown to elevate resting metabolic rate (RMR) for up to 36 hours post-workout in studies, which means your body is burning more energy for a day and a half after your gym session than it would do otherwise. Three to four strength training sessions a week and this adds up when it comes to establishing the necessary calorie deficit for effective fat loss.

Strength training also improves insulin sensitivity in muscle tissue, which means it can effectively manage insulin spikes better and also refer ingested carbohydrate into muscle tissue / glycogen rather than body fat.

In short, strength training helps you store less food as body fat and increases daily calorie expenditure at a far higher rate than other forms of exercise.

2.) It Changes Your Shape

This point is probably the easiest one for people to relate to.

Simply put, there are two types of superficial tissue than influence our appearance day to day - fat and muscle. Fat is formless - it just hangs there. Muscle, on the other hand provides shape, and results in the lean, toned look that 99% of people chase.

The idea of "gaining muscle" is a hard pill to swallow for a lot of women, who have images of some pumped up bodybuilder in their heads. Of course, this is not what we are after, and with a well designed fat loss programme that incorporates a little strength training, is not what we'll get.

The reality is that adding a few lbs of lean muscle to a female frame is the ONLY way to achieve the lean, toned, sleek look that they want. Fortunately, this is becoming more and more mainstream and more ladies are finally starting to appreciate how strength training will move them closer to the physique they desire.

Strength training allows you to alter your body composition, lift your glutes, tone your arms and sculpt your thighs in a way no other form of exercise can!

3.) It Helps Keep The Weight Off

The final main benefit we are going to discuss today is how strength training helps to maintain fat loss over time.

The chronic elevated metabolic rate that results from long term strength training essentially "raises the baseline" when it comes to daily calorie expenditure.

By elevating your metabolism long term, you expend more calories daily, which essentially means you can eat more food daily.

This is key when it comes to maintaining dietary practices that got you lean in the first place.

You cannot continue to eat less and less food over time as you get leaner and leaner. At some point, you have to find a balance where by you can continue to eat a reasonable amount of food whilst still maintaining your fat loss if your are to keep it off long term.

An increase is RMR long term (along with an adjusted palate and better food choices) is what allows you to do this, thus making your habits sustainable over time.


So there you have it - three of the many benefits of strength training for fat loss. Why on earth would you not strength train if you are not already doing so? Start today and you'll be impressed with the results I guarantee!