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  • By Steve Menzies


    Weight training is often mistaken as a bodybuilding method rather than a fat loss method.

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

    In fact, resistance training has been clinically proven across many scientific research studies to be highly effective for burning body fat - even more than cardiovascular exercise!

    H.I.R.T. is the name given to the style of resistance training we will be discussing today. This is not pretty, but it is very effective!

    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.

    The muscle building process which is kick-started following a weights workout is known as hypertrophy. The key factor here is that a session based around hypertrophy will use carbohydrates as it's main fuel during the workout. Not fat.

    Many people blindly reject this style of training when they see carbs as the main fuel because they want to be focusing on burning fat. That is their mistake.

    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!

    Wondering how to encourage more fat loss by adopting this training approach with your existing fitness routine?



    It's beauty is in it's simplicity. Or rather, it's simple to explain - it's not simple to do! The first step is to look at what other people are doing when they train with weights at your local gym. The chances are, they will lift for eight to ten repetitions then rest for a couple of minutes before repeating the process. This is pretty standard gym behavior.

    If fat loss is your goal, though, high intensity training will trump the old bodybuilding approach every single time.

    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.

    There are now numerous scientific studies which confirm the effectiveness of resistance training for fat loss. In fact, many even suggest it to be greater than cardio. If you train in a mainstream gym then there's a good chance you may never have stumbled across this information before. Use it wisely.




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