6 Reasons to Lift Weights

People often think that the only way to get lean is to do tons of cardio. The truth is that weightlifting along with proper nutrition and cardio is the best way to achieve a lean body. In addition, there are plenty of health benefits of lifting.

Here are six benefits of incorporating weightlifting in your routine!

Loss of body fat

If your goal is to be leaner, increase muscle mass and fit better in your jeans, the answer is weightlifting. A study from the University of Alabama in Birmingham showed that dieters who lifted heavy weights lost the same amount of weight as dieters who did just cardio. However, all the weight lost by the weightlifters was mostly fat, while the ones who did cardio lost a lot of muscle along with some fat.

More calories burned

Cardio burns calories but weightlifting burns even more! Your metabolism increases after cardiovascular exercise, but this only lasts 30 to 60 minutes after your cardio session. After weightlifting, you continue to burn calories 48 hours after your workouts. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that women burned an average of 100 more calories during the 24 hours after their weight-training session ended.

In addition, a study from Harvard Medical School showed that a 155-pound person burns 112 calories in 30 minutes during a weightlifting workout, and a 240-pound exerciser expends 133 doing the same workout in 30 minutes.

Gets you lean

If you increase your lean muscle mass and reduce body fat, you will have more definition in your body— and beautiful abs, arms and legs will be the result.

In my experience, lifting heavy shapes my body and gives me a feminine, athletic look. Some people are afraid to look “bulky,” but the “bulky” look actually occurs when you eat cakes, sugar and junk food with a lot of calories!

Curvy and rounded butt

To have a shaped, sexy and toned body, you must lift weights. Incorporate weight training with squats, lunges will help you to tone and build a sexy butt. Don’t be afraid to lift heavy! If you do it properly, you will see results.

Osteoporosis prevention

Some research has shown that weightlifting can prevent loss of bone mass and also help build new bone mass.

Good for your heart and blood pressure

Experts say that muscle may help remove glucose and triglycerides from the bloodstream, which reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. In addition, it has been reported that strength training lowers blood pressure for 10 to 12 hours after each session, which gives your heart a rest.