Maddie We all know that we can burn fat through cardio workouts, but does weight lifting burn fat, too? Here we will answer all your questions related to strength training and fat loss.
I used to be that girl who always headed straight to the treadmill when I decided I wanted to work out. However, when I first ventured into the weight room, it changed the game forever; strength training has had such an incredible impact on my weight loss journey.
I’ll go into more detail below, but this post will ultimately answer the question of “can you lose weight just by lifting weights no cardio?”
*Note: This post includes several Amazon affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link (at no extra cost to you). Please read full disclosure here. Also, I am not a doctor or dietician. I am a personal trainer. It’s always best to speak with your doctor before making any changes to your diet and/or lifestyle.
So, does weight lifting burn fat? And if so, how?
What we’ll cover…
After reading this post, don’t forget to check out…
You Need To Try This Life-Changing Easy Weight Loss Tip
9 Important Things You NEED to Know When Starting Powerlifting for Women
11 Important Things You NEED to Know Before Weight Loss 60 Pounds
6 Things You NEED to Know About Working Out at Home for Beginners
Strength training benefits
Benefit 1: It allows for body recomposition
When you do weight lifting, you may notice that you lose weight at a slower pace than you’d like. But that’s OKAY–don’t let it discourage you! The scale dropping slowly DOES NOT mean that you aren’t losing fat.
Muscle weighs more than fat does, so as you’re gaining muscle, your body weight may not change a whole lot.
(Of course, this has exceptions–very overweight or obese individuals should still see the number on the scale drop pretty quickly, even if the person is gaining muscle.)
This idea is called body recomposition; it means that the muscle you gain is replacing the fat you lost in terms of the number on the scale. It’s amazing what two different people of the same height and weight can look like depending on how much muscle each individual carries.
Or even what the same person looks like after gaining lots of muscle:
Being someone who lost over 60 pounds (230 pounds to 165 pounds), weight gain was SO difficult for me to accept. I absolutely hated seeing the number on the scale increase.
However, when I put two photos side-by-side, I can really tell how much muscle I’ve gained and how much fat I’ve lost in just a few years. So, just remember that the number on the scale isn’t everything
Speaking from experience, it can be hard to not obsess over it, but gaining the muscle and putting on a little weight from strength training is SO worth it.
Benefit 2: You’ll increase your metabolism over time
This benefit ties in with benefit #1, but I feel that it’s important to take note of: muscle tissues burn more calories than fat tissues do. This means you’ll continue to burn more calories over time, making fat loss easier. It also allows you to eat more while maintaining your body weight!
To put this idea into perspective, I was eating around 1,500 calories when I was losing weight. Now I can eat around 2,500 calories, and I am able to maintain my body weight.
As someone who loves her food, this is one of my absolute favorite things about strength training and gaining muscle in general.
Although, if you’ve ever asked yourself “how long does it take to lose weight when lifting weights?,” it’s really impossible to say; fat loss is dependent on SO many different factors.
Benefit 3: You’ll improve your overall health & fitness
I could go on and on about the health benefits of weight training.
Physiological benefits
Not only does weight lifting burn fat, but it also improves heart health and bone health, decreases your risks for certain diseases including cancer, it improves your blood sugar levels, among so many other incredible physiological benefits.
Physical benefits
The most obvious physical benefit of strength training is the change in physical appearance. Participating in resistance training will aid in fat loss. It will build a toned physique, and it will help tighten up problem areas.
MYTH: “Lifting weights will make you bulky.“
Weight training will NOT make you bulky as a woman! Females don’t have enough testosterone to create the so-called “bodybuilding” physique. Plus, women with strong bodies work hard in the gym for years–muscles don’t grow overnight.
What I’m trying to say from this is, don’t let the thought of getting “too bulky” discourage you from resistance training. It’s not worth it.
The second physical benefit of lifting weights is the physical strength that goes along with it. Getting stronger allows to you perform everyday tasks easier such as hauling in groceries or moving furniture.
Mental benefits
Weight training has many awesome mental benefits as well. A few of these include increased mood, lowered stress and anxiety, raised self-esteem, and boosted brain health.
Benefit 4: It’s fun & very versatile
I’m a firm believer that if you want to stick to a workout routine, you have to (at least somewhat) enjoy the exercises that you’re including in your workouts. I think that’s such an important part of creating lifestyle changes–finding movements that you don’t mind doing.
Think about it, if you’re doing exercises you absolutely hate, there’s no chance of you sticking with it in the long run. However, if you enjoy doing certain exercises and workouts, there’s a MUCH higher chance that you’ll continue with your routine.
So, if you’ve ever found yourself dreading that treadmill or elliptical workout, I say it’s time to try out a few strength workouts for a change!
There are so many different options regarding training styles and movements:
Types of exercises
- Bodyweight strength exercises
- Dumbbell exercises
- Kettlebell exercises
- TRX exercises
- Machine exercises
- Barbell exercises
Training styles
- General strength training
- Circuit training
- HIITs
- Powerlifting
- Weight lifting
- Cross fit
- Bodybuilding
- Calisthenics
As you can probably see, there is such a HUGE variety of exercises and training styles to choose from! I dreaded doing cardio all the time, but weight lifting is a different story.
I actually enjoy my workouts, and I think that they’re extremely fun and rewarding.
Strength training vs. cardio
Cardio and weight lifting both have their own benefits when it comes to burning fat. We discussed many of those relating to strength training above, but I’ll try my best to recap those points here as well.
Cardio is meant to get your heart rate up, and it will most likely more calories than strength training does during any given workout of the same time duration.
If you go for a 30-minute jog, you will likely burn more calories than you would doing a 30-minute strength workout. So, if you’ve ever wondered “Does lifting weights burn fat faster than cardio?” No, technically it doesn’t.
HOWEVER, strength training burns more calories in the long run which is why it’s so great for long-term fat loss; I genuinely believe strength training is the reason I’ve been able to maintain a 60-pound weight loss. So if you’ve ever wondered, “does lifting weights burn belly fat?” or “does lifting weights burn fat in arms?” Yes, it technically can (just not how you might think it does).
Gaining muscle means your metabolism will increase over time because muscle tissues burn more calories than fat tissues do. Strength training will also make you look more toned than cardio will. It helps you perform everyday tasks easier, and it’s awesome for improving your overall health and fitness.
Altogether, I think it’s safe to say that strength training should be as high of a priority as cardio is when trying to lose weight.
The takeaway
I hope this post clearly answered your question of “does weight lifting burn fat?”
Cardio is awesome, and weight lifting is amazing, too.
Both styles of workouts burn fat, just in slightly different ways; cardio burns more calories in the moment, but strength training burns more calories over time.
(RELATED POST: What Exercises Burn The Most Calories? | 49 Awesome Fat-Burning Exercises)
The 4 huge benefits of strength training include body recomposition, increased metabolism, improved overall health and fitness, & it’s fun and very versatile.
I truly owe my long-term fat loss success to the benefits of strength training. I think weight lifting (specifically barbell training) is extremely fun, and I am so passionate about sharing my love for it with others!
