Move Those Feet!

Weight Training Can Increase Metabolic Rate

Most individuals don’t think about weight training when they’re trying to lose weight. Weight training, after all, builds muscle mass and contributes to an overall weight gain. But, the long-term effects of weight training can help you lose weight and keep that weight off. Plus, you’ll stand taller, look slimmer, and have more stamina and strength.

The other benefit behind weight training is the amount of calories burned after the weight-training session. Depending upon your gender and size, you can burn more than 300 calories following a 30-minute weight training workout, thanks to an increase in resting metabolic rate (RMR). That sweating you experience after thirty minutes of resistance movements is your body burning energy (calories). But, according to Peak Performance:

Higher exercise intensities induce greater metabolic responses that take more time to dissipate. Paradoxically, though, athletes (particularly endurance athletes) can actually slow their RMR when training intensely and for prolonged periods. This tends to happen when calories are consumed in insufficient quantities to fuel energy expenditure plus the additional increase in RMR.

The reason behind this slowdown in RMR is a genetic factor known as ’starvation mode,” where the body tries to hold on to energy to prevent a system collapse. One way to avoid holding on to calories after a workout is to - ironically - eat snacks before or after those workouts.

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