And so to weight loss
The most common request I have had over 20 years of working in this industry is “I want to lose weight and tone up”.
People talk about wanting to lose weight but the reality is that we want to lose body fat. We don’t want to lose bones, organs, blood, muscles, tendons, cartilage, water… in order to reduce, we want to lose fat and that understanding can really help us with our approach to the whole situation.
Now, let’s just clear one thing up here…..
MUSCLE DOES NOT WEIGH MORE THAN FAT.
A pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of flour weighs the same as a pound of feathers. A pound is a pound is a pound.
However …..
Muscle is more DENSE than fat. That means that muscle takes up less space than fat. This is where we need to possibly adjust our thinking. If you are exercising hard with weight loss as your goal, then you may see that the scales don’t change which can be really demoralising and may tell you that you are wasting your time. STOP - as you build muscle, you are replacing fat which means that while the scales don’t always show your progress, you will be reducing in size. As you build muscle, you could find that you are still the same weight as your much curvier friend but you are two dress sizes smaller.
So why is lifting weights better for toning and weight loss than cardio?
Cardio exercise is fantastic for lots of people. Endurance running used to be my absolute passion and getting on my bike now helps me shake off the cobwebs or get over a tricky day. Cardio is a great form of exericse and milions of people benefit from it in so many ways.
However in order to tone up - while cardio has many benefits, you will get sculpted, shredded, toned, ripped, looking fit FAR more quickly by lifting weight.
WHY?
Muscle needs energy. Energy is taken in the form of calories. Your new and gorgeous muscles are sitting there like baby birds with their mouths open begging for calories. That means that while you are lying on the sofa working through a box set, your metabolism (converting food into energy) is working far harder than if you have less muscle and a higher fat percentage. It makes sense - fat does not need energy so why waste the time? Just store those excess calories as - guess what? FAT! Excess fat is like the Jim Royle of the Royle family, lying about and doing nothing.
Look - if you don’t believe me, how about this fact - competitive body builders will set their alarms to get up during the night (sometimes multiple times) to consume more calories so they do not risk muscle atrophy by not taking in enough energy.
Have you ever noticed when lifting weight, how breathless you become even though you may be working quite slowly? There it is right there! Your muscels are working so they need more energy so your body is trying to draw in more O2 hence getting out of breath! Fascintaing stuff!!!
If losing fat is your goal, then measuring is a FAR more realistic way to chart your progress.
Try this - once a week, on the same day, the same time, take your measurements. The widest part of one upper arm and leg, bust, just under bra line, waist, widest part of your tummy and finally the widest part of your hips. Don’t dwell on any one measurement but add them all together and write down the total. Try not to dwell on the measurements of any area you really want to reduce - it doesn’t work like that unfortunately and we cannot “spot” train so don’t set yourself up for a disappointment. Just focus on the grand total and compare week on week. As everything becomes more toned and recalibrates, so then those areas will catch up.
Step away from the scales!
A quote I have taken and used a lot is “Women! Step away from starving and calorie counting. Fill up your plates, pick up your weights and step into your POWER!” - I love this so much I literally did have it made into t shirts!
We have it covered - Tuesday 9am and Friday 8am every week online and recorded classes in the library.
Please make sure you wave goodbye to 2024 a stronger, fitter, healthier and even more fabulous version of you than when you welcomed it in!
Little footnote - A really common concern I have heard is “I don’t want to bulk up”
If only it were that easy!! This is always from women who are looking at possibly one training session a week with modest weights. Well, rest assured - unless you are charting your diet plan on spreadsheets, measuring every morsel you eat and are spending hours and hours in the gym lifting huge weight, you will not bulk up.
With that in mind, it is usually the same concerned person who can be seen in a non gym environment balancing a child on each hip with multiple bags over their shoulders, dragging a dog and pushchair and basically navigating 3 times the weight they were too afraid to lift in a safe exercise environment!! Ring any bells?
I really hope this has helped, informed and encouraged but I can talk your this all day so I dare say we will be back here again!!
