Everyone knows that we have to be active, exercise every day and keep our heart and lung systems fit. But the third pillar of the Wheel of 3 exercise guideline may be new to many people. It is often thought that only recreational exercise and aerobic training (endurance training) are good for burning fat. But muscle training is an equally important part of healthy exercise and also essential to lose weight in a responsible way and stay slim!
Research shows that muscle training has a strong effect on the quality of the muscles and bones in our body. This is reflected in it being easier to maintain everyday activities and can play a role in the prevention of osteoporosis (bone loss), sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass that starts after the age of 30), back problems and especially in the prevention of obesity (Braith & Stewart, 2006; Pollock et al. 2000). In addition, research shows that muscle training also has a beneficial effect on tackling risk factors that increase the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. These risk factors are insulin resistance, low resting metabolism, high blood pressure and a high fat percentage. (Winnett and Carpenelli, 2001).
MUSCLE TRAINING FOR SLIMMING
How exactly does muscle training work for weight loss? Training muscles ensures high energy consumption. After training the muscles, the muscle’s energy consumption is still higher than before the training. This effect continues for more than 38 hours and is called EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption). This effect occurs because the muscles need longer to recover from training. Due to the improvement in muscle quality that occurs because increased resistance is placed on the muscle during training, the muscle also consumes more energy at rest. Because our muscles are the energy engines of our body, higher muscle quality will ensure a higher metabolism, which is more energy expenditure at rest, 24 hours a day. This effect is called an increase in basal metabolic rate. By regularly (twice a week) training the muscles, we use more energy at rest and during the day. That is why this training is seen as a crucial part of a healthy lifestyle and certainly also as part of a weight loss program. Muscle training significantly reduces the risk of relapse and can be described as the anti-yo-yo concept.
The advantage of the increases immediately after training, and structurally after muscle training, is that the extra energy that is used is mainly fat.
Train the entire body, the large muscle groups (back, chest, shoulders, arms, abdomen and legs) for the best results and to avoid the yo-yo effect in the long term. For optimal effect: train the large muscle groups at least twice a week with 8 to 10 exercises, which can be done in a compact circuit training of 15 minutes. Rest for one day between two muscle training sessions to allow the muscles to recover.
