Strength training is an important part of weight loss. How does your body use calories? It’s your lean muscle mass, that muscle underneath your body fat that burns calories 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As you gain muscle, your body gains a bigger generator to burn more calories. Think about this from a weight loss perspective. Everyone has a layer of muscle under the fat. If you’re eating fewer calories than you use, then those calories are burning fat, but also depleting muscle. As your muscle mass disappears, your metabolism begins to slow.
The way to keep and build more of that calorie burning lean muscle is to challenge those muscles with weight bearing exercises. If you do this, you will be able to maintain the muscle mass you already have while you are losing the fat. Strength-train your way to a slimmer, more lean and healthy body.
"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."- Mahatma Gandhi