Why we love weight training

Exercising loads and not quite shedding the fat you thought you would? We tell you why we love weight training!

If you got into exercise through regular runs, it’s likely you saw initial results. But if your cardio-induced results have started to plateau, the guys at Les Mills can help. Head trainer Dave Kyle gives his tips on weight training and how it can help you achieve your best body.

Busting the myth
‘One of the biggest myths in the health and fitness industry is that cardio training is the answer to achieving the body you’ve always wanted. By concentrating on cardio alone, you’re really selling yourself short and in fact you could achieve so much more if you fully understand the intricacies of working out, particularly when it comes to weight lifting for fat loss. Weight lifting can be a very effective method for toning up and losing inches, provided it’s done in the right way.’

Get lifted
‘Weight lifting is a good option for fat loss because it boosts your metabolic rate over both the short and long term. In the hours after an intense weight lifting session you will experience an increase in metabolic rate and it will help you maintain the total amount of lean muscle mass. Cardio training only causes a short rise in metabolic rate – for an hour or two (at most) – after training, which takes away from the overall calorie-burning benefits compared with resistance training.’

Your best body
‘Weight lifting also alters your body composition. Many individuals who just hop on the treadmill and keep their training steady aren’t training effectively. Although this might initially lead to weight loss, especially if you’re new to exercise, your body might not actually look that different – as strange as it sounds. This is because you will still have the same proportion of muscle mass to body fat; you are just “smaller”.  Weight training will help change the overall look of your body, replacing fat with muscle and changing your body composition.’