If you google “New Year’s Resolutions”, you will find that one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight.  It’s typically a plan featuring a mix of new eating habits and more exercise. To take advantage of this phenomenon, many health clubs offer weight loss challenges and programs right after the New Year.

Does Strength Training increase your metabolism and help aid fat loss?

Metabolism is the amount of energy – in the form of calories – that we burn in a day according to exercise physiologist Katie Heimburger. “When you increase your muscle mass, you boost your resting metabolism – and that makes your body burn more calories.  That’s why we recommend adding strength training to an exercise program.  If you are building strength, you are losing weight.”

According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, an osteopathic physician, “Working your muscles is the key to firing up your metabolism – muscle contraction is the booster rocket of fat loss.  Unlike traditional cardio, strength training causes you to continue burning more calories for up to 72 hours after the exercise is over through a phenomenon called after-burn. Super-slow weight training is a form of high-intensity exercise that has superior metabolism-boosting benefits, especially for older individuals.”

Dietary changes are the most important component in a successful weight loss formula. BUT, in combination with high-intensity strength training, your body will feed off of your fat, preserve/gain muscle, and you will have achieved SUCCESS!