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By Russ Howe


While there are various styles of exercise to lose weight, one which consistently gets overlooked is resistance based training.

But the fact is, resistance training has been scientifically proven to elevate our body's fat burning ability.

Those who are keen gym enthusiasts may already know this, but the majority of gym goers have no idea and often miss out on the many benefits hiding within resistance training because they mistakenly believe it's not for them. However, several key studies show weight based training to be even better than aerobic exercise for burning calories.

While there are many forms of weight based training, the specific form you should be looking at for burning body fat is known as H.I.R.T.

Usually, when somebody finds out that weights do indeed eliminate body fat they run to the gym with ideas of fitness classes and hundreds of reps. That's not the case. While these classes are weights based, the resistance levels used are so low that it effectively turns into a cardio session. H.I.R.T. is based around heavy lifting.

Whenever we lift weights we create an anabolic response which tells the body to use carbohydrates as our main fuel source during training.

Do not let that fact fool you.

The hypertrophy which is caused by our weight training session uses carbohydrates to fuel our muscles while we train. However, the moment we end our workout the body switches to burning body fat and this remains the case for a considerable number of hours thereafter. That's right, we are burning body fat after the gym, not in the gym!

While aerobic exercise uses fat as it's primary fuel, you stop burning calories at an accelerated rate when you stop training. However, intense lifting uses carbs as it's main fuel during the session then switches to burning fat for twelve to sixteen hours after the session!

So how would somebody go about using this training protocol?



While the fat burning process your body endures may sound complex, the training style is certainly not. Take a look how most people use weights in your local gym and you will see how many people are missing out on potentially incredible results by taking too much rest, talking in groups between sets, and so on. That's normal gym practice.

If you are aiming for high intensity resistance training, however, that is not what you should be doing.

High intensity resistance training involves reducing rest periods but keeping your training hard and heavy. Pair compound lifts together and work through sets of three of four moves in one circuit. You'll get more done in your session than those taking vast rest periods after every set, and you will notice significantly greater fat loss results in the weeks which follow.

The myth that cardio is for weight loss and weight lifting is for bodybuilding should no longer plague gyms across the country. Yet it does. In discovering the numerous pieces of scientific research which prove just how effective weight training can be for burning unwanted body fat, you now find yourself in the minority of gym users who can use this knowledge to your advantage.




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