More Weights to Lose Weight?!?
There is a misconception in the gym that if you want to lose weight you should stay away from dumbbells and weight machines and if you do use them you must select a weight that you can barely feel and flap your arms about at great speed completing multiple repetitions. Wrong!
How does it work?
We need the muscles to be pushed whether you are trying to lose weight or trying to gain muscle mass. It is true that for weight loss we need the repetitions to be more than if you were solely trying to increase your muscle mass. By increasing the repetitions we are focusing the effort onto your muscles’ slow twitch fibres. These fibres are used by the muscle for repetitive movements over long periods, they are more sinewy than the muscles’ fast twitch fibres and therefore do not add huge size to the body. There is no better example than the physique of a long distance runner compared to that of a sprinter’s body. The sprinter’s body is packed with fast twitch muscles that can produce immense power over very short periods and they are generally very muscular. The long distance runner is much slimmer but can perform the action of running for a very long time. When it comes to weight loss we want to increase your muscle mass but of the slow twitch fibres and not so much of the muscular fast twitch fibres. This will increase your metabolic rate and allow your body to burn excess energy (also known as fat – Beeble) even when you are not exercising.
How do you apply it to your training?
Whatever your exercise of choice is it will take a few attempts to know what weight is right for you. So my advice is to start light and progressively get heavier until you reach the correct resistance for you on that exercise. Before you ask, the right weight is all about a fine balance between technique and muscle fatigue. We are going to say that 15 repetitions of any weight based exercise is perfect for fat loss and toning those slow twitch fibres. You can do more if you want but there really is no need. Now you need to pick a weight that will allow you to successfully complete the exercise with perfect technique throughout all 15 reps, but by the 15th you should feel that you could only complete a couple more repetitions. This means you are taking the muscle to fatigue but without losing good technique which of course can lead to injuries. The movement should always be slow and controlled taking about 1.5 to 2 seconds to complete the movement in one direction and the same amount of time to return to the starting position.
You can apply this exercise format to all weight based exercises but do remember that because you can do one weight on one exercise you won’t necessarily be able to do that same weight on all exercises. So for every new piece of equipment start lighter and build up to find the perfect weight for you on that exercise.
Is that it?
Not quite, as you keep exercising you will get stronger so it is really important that over time you increase the weight so that you are always being pushed to that same level. Only then will you see continuing progress and development. It is sometimes too easy to repeat the same exercise over and over again without really putting the effort in, so make sure that when you leave the gym or finish your routine you look like you have been exercising. Good signs of this are being slightly more rosy in the face, sweaty and out of breath of course these aren’t pleasant attributes for anyone but no one said it was going to be easy!
Be safe and good luck!
