Sunday, July 13, 2008

Get Your Weight Training In

For those of you who keep track of this blog — both of you — I apologize for the long wait for an entry. I got married and went on a honeymoon, then my bride broke her foot and has required assistance. However, I have extracted assistance in return: typing. So, thank you, Chris, for being my hands while I am your feet.

Back to business.

The most effective way to change the shape of your body is to make sure to get in your weight training. After a weight training session, your body continues to burn extra calories for a couple of days afterward. This is due to the repairs that the body makes after the muscles have been traumatized.

If you find you still need to get a little leaner, add in some cardio after your weight training. This will burn extra calories and fat.

Conversely, if you are doing all cardio and your weight loss has stopped, add weight training to gain more muscle mass — because muscle burns more calories throughout the day. So, by adding muscle, your body becomes more efficient, therefore you burn more calories — which allows you to get leaner.

Each pound of muscle burns roughly 35 calories a day. Fat burns none. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn in your resting state. (Which would not be Florida.) So, if you find that by dieting and/or doing just cardio that your weight comes right back on, you aren't doing anything to increase your metabolism and burn more fat: add muscle.