I know people generally do wight training to increase their muscles and stamina and whatnot, but how much does weight training contribute to fat loss ? If i were to partkae in a few sessions of simple bicept curls 3/4 days a week, would i find myself losing much fat ? Or simply building larger biceps ?
Weight training to burn fat.
- Thread starter Shanks
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Weight training is the other half of the equation in losing fat. First is diet. When you lift you are increasing your caloric consumption. This means that if you have been working out, your muscles will burn off fat even when you are not working out. Your caloric furnace, so to speak, will always be on. If you aren't familiar with a weight room you need to get with a personal trainer for a few sessions so he/she can help get you started. You need to know which exercises to do, in what order, how many days a week, and how much weight. This is all really to help you see better results. You don't want to waste your efforts with too much weight using improper form. And you definitely don't want to be injured. I mentioned that because doing bicep curls is a very insignificant exercise. You need to be doing strength training not bodybuilding. If you don't know the difference, get a trainer. Or at least get a book on the subject.
No, the curls won't do you much good. But doing Dead lifts is a whole other story. If you could only pick 1 exercise to do, you would still get great results from deads.
No, the curls won't do you much good. But doing Dead lifts is a whole other story. If you could only pick 1 exercise to do, you would still get great results from deads.
Aerobic exercise should come before weight lifting, not after. (This is, of course, debatable. crazcarl 
) You've already put a strain on your body's glucose supply (glycogen stores) by lifting those weights, which, unless you can get enough carbohydrates and protein in the right window of time, will be catabolic.
The formula is:
Muscle Protein Balance = Protein Synthesis - Protein Breakdown
If you don't get enough of the aforementioned macronutrients, your body will be forced to break down both fat and muscle to supply itself with energy. However, it is difficult to gauge how much of these nutrients (especially carbohydrates) you will need during your time at the gym. If you get the amount right or slightly more, you can do weight training and then your cardio without a problem.
So the compromise we can make is if your nutrition is good enough, you can do both. It is, of course, easier and less draining to do your cardio after a weight lifting session.
Personally, I don't usually do cardio on weight-lifting days. If I do, I make sure to keep my carbs up before and after the session.
Bottom line is, cardio after weight-training only if you're constantly supplied with enough carbs. Otherwise you're risking a negative muscle protein balance, which means muscle loss.
) You've already put a strain on your body's glucose supply (glycogen stores) by lifting those weights, which, unless you can get enough carbohydrates and protein in the right window of time, will be catabolic.The formula is:
Muscle Protein Balance = Protein Synthesis - Protein Breakdown
If you don't get enough of the aforementioned macronutrients, your body will be forced to break down both fat and muscle to supply itself with energy. However, it is difficult to gauge how much of these nutrients (especially carbohydrates) you will need during your time at the gym. If you get the amount right or slightly more, you can do weight training and then your cardio without a problem.
So the compromise we can make is if your nutrition is good enough, you can do both. It is, of course, easier and less draining to do your cardio after a weight lifting session.
Personally, I don't usually do cardio on weight-lifting days. If I do, I make sure to keep my carbs up before and after the session.
Bottom line is, cardio after weight-training only if you're constantly supplied with enough carbs. Otherwise you're risking a negative muscle protein balance, which means muscle loss.
Aerobic training should NOT come before weight training. During aerobic training you weaken your small muscle groups which help to stabilize your joints. If you lift heavy after aerobic conditioning you are at a much greater risk of injury especially for the masses that have poor form to begin with.
To reply to the other comment about fat burning. Strength training makes your whole body hungry for calories at all times. Not only do you burn more cals but the effects last longer. It is best to combine aerobic with strength training for results, but if you don't have time for both better to go for strength one day then aerobic the next. Anyone who says otherwise has never done a full kettlebell circuit with a heart rate monitor.
To reply to the other comment about fat burning. Strength training makes your whole body hungry for calories at all times. Not only do you burn more cals but the effects last longer. It is best to combine aerobic with strength training for results, but if you don't have time for both better to go for strength one day then aerobic the next. Anyone who says otherwise has never done a full kettlebell circuit with a heart rate monitor.
I understand your point. However I stand by mine. There are specific circuit training regiments that will burn fat off like napalm. Look into studies done on kettlebell training versus a normal PT regiment control group and let’s continue the discussion.
On the other hand, a normal person’s weight training regiment would not function in this capacity. I do agree with you there.
On the other hand, a normal person’s weight training regiment would not function in this capacity. I do agree with you there.
I understand the variation in training pattern to a certain kettlebell regime could stimulate greater fat loss during a period for an athlete used to aerobic training. Could you mention what specific kettlebell circuits/exercises you refer to when you give them great praise about being fantastic calorie burners?
In training we did 2 hand swings, windmill, turkish getup, hang clean, hang snatch, and jerk press with 30sec to no rest in between using max reps for 3-5 circuits. Did this every other day. After I broke my leg this was all I could do (no more running and swimming) and my body fat dropped to between 5-7 percent even without the aerobic training. Also on this regiment we did cals EVERYDAY, which also helped.
I urge anyone to give this a try, it's an evil smoke session from hell, but you'll be rock solid afterwards. It's great for anyone into high intensity training for sports like boxing, martial arts and wrestling.
I urge anyone to give this a try, it's an evil smoke session from hell, but you'll be rock solid afterwards. It's great for anyone into high intensity training for sports like boxing, martial arts and wrestling.
I haven't been replying to threads like this lately because I don't really want to get into a pissing contest with anyone. But on this one, I really must agree with Johnny.
Aerobic exercise burns calories; that said typically a fast walk will reduce fat more quickly than a relatively fast jog. However; when your jog or swim etc is complete you pretty much are done burning calories.
When weightlifting lots of calories are burned as well. Not only are hundred of calories burned (so long as your working hard, at a good pace) but after your through lifting you continue to burn calories for as much as a full day aftewards; to say nothing about the fact that the more muscle a person has the more calories they burn just sitting there.
The above website lists common exercises and the caloric burn of them based on varying weights, take a look at it but i'll point out the following:
For a 175lb person: Elliptical trainers burn about 750 calories an hour, while vigorous weighlifting burns 500 and circuit training bursn almost 670. Sure vigorous weightlifting has a 250 cal deficit under elliptical runners; however, when weight training you're not doing continuous movement, you are resting etc.
As per cardio before or after. Does it really matter, physiologically - probably...but if I had a client who came in and said I"m doing my cardio before I lift or I won't do it all...i'll let them do it before they lift. I'm not going to do cardio before my lifting because I'll be too tired. Some people do it the other way, i think we've lost sight of the fact that getting into the gym and working out is a feat for many people in and of itself. Sure physiology and kinesiology play a factor, but at the end of of the day, when i can barely stand up, my hands are shaking and my muscles are pumped beyond belief then I know i'll sleep happy.
Aerobic exercise burns calories; that said typically a fast walk will reduce fat more quickly than a relatively fast jog. However; when your jog or swim etc is complete you pretty much are done burning calories.
When weightlifting lots of calories are burned as well. Not only are hundred of calories burned (so long as your working hard, at a good pace) but after your through lifting you continue to burn calories for as much as a full day aftewards; to say nothing about the fact that the more muscle a person has the more calories they burn just sitting there.
The above website lists common exercises and the caloric burn of them based on varying weights, take a look at it but i'll point out the following:
For a 175lb person: Elliptical trainers burn about 750 calories an hour, while vigorous weighlifting burns 500 and circuit training bursn almost 670. Sure vigorous weightlifting has a 250 cal deficit under elliptical runners; however, when weight training you're not doing continuous movement, you are resting etc.
As per cardio before or after. Does it really matter, physiologically - probably...but if I had a client who came in and said I"m doing my cardio before I lift or I won't do it all...i'll let them do it before they lift. I'm not going to do cardio before my lifting because I'll be too tired. Some people do it the other way, i think we've lost sight of the fact that getting into the gym and working out is a feat for many people in and of itself. Sure physiology and kinesiology play a factor, but at the end of of the day, when i can barely stand up, my hands are shaking and my muscles are pumped beyond belief then I know i'll sleep happy.
Eliptical machine for an hour VS. vigorous weight training for an hour.
Eliptical machine is going to be way easier. I don't think a normal person could do a vigorous weightlifting routine for a whole hour, but i'm betting you could go longer on an eliptical machine than weightlifting.
you'll still burn calories for an hour or more, the basis of HIIT(tested and proven very effective) relies on you burning calories after you've stopped running.
Eliptical machine is going to be way easier. I don't think a normal person could do a vigorous weightlifting routine for a whole hour, but i'm betting you could go longer on an eliptical machine than weightlifting.
you'll still burn calories for an hour or more, the basis of HIIT(tested and proven very effective) relies on you burning calories after you've stopped running.
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