We used to believe that doing countless hours of some sort of long duration, low intensity activity was the exercise prescription for losing weight. This old fashioned model of fitness rarely included strength training exercise. Fortunately we know a lot more about the human body and it’s functioning and if excess body fat is to be lost performing ineffective exercise regimes is not going to cut it.
For starters low intensity long duration activity does not address the core reason why most people put on excess fat weight. Sure what they eat is important but so is the fact that 8 out of 10 people do not do enough muscle building and maintaining exercise.
The number one reason why people become overweight is that weak flabby muscles have low energy requirements and cannot burn up the food the average person eats each day. This is called our body composition (muscle/fat ratio) which tells us exactly how much lean tissue (muscle, bone, organs etc) and how much body fat we carry.
If this ratio changes due to inactivity and disuse we no longer have the power of a strong healthy metabolic engine to burn up the food we eat. As our muscle tissue makes up to 50 percent of our body weight any reduction in muscle strength and toning effects how fit and fat we are or how slim and strong we are.
If you are one of those people who claim they have a slow metabolism and can put on fat weight easily or has difficulty losing it you are probably right – your metabolism is likely to be not running as efficiently as it should be. If you have been doing the wrong type of exercise or even no exercise at all you will have lost muscle tone and will be burning less calories every minute of the day and night.
Now that you can see the problem the solution is simple. Get your butt into the nearest gym or fitness center and get started on a proper strength training program. Just 2-3 sessions each week with some effort put into them is all that is needed.
In just a few weeks you will start to notice the difference as your body shifts from fat storing mode and starts the journey back to fat burning mode. Sure it will take time, it is not an instant fix – there is no such thing. But one thing is for certain in that when you fix things up right down at base level (your metabolism) you will not only be on the track back to reclaiming your slim trim body you will keep it for the long term.
What you are aiming for is a strong, lean, better shaped, healthy body that no amount of dieting or hours of low intensity activity can ever give you. Proper strengthening exercise is truly the missing link that so many people leave out of a fat loss program and wonder why they are so disappointed in their results.
So, the sooner you get started on your strength training program the sooner you will be enjoying the results of not only losing the fat but better overall health as well. It is all about teaching your body to burn more fuel each day than you take in, not trying to eat less and exercise more than you eat each day. A healthy metabolism is all about muscle tone so get yours in tip-top condition and watch the body fat disappear.
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