Are light or heavy weights better to burn fat?
We have all heard the myth, “If you want to get in great shape, lift light weights for more reps." I’m here to tell you nothing could be further from the truth. Weight lifting is about challenging your body and forcing an adaptive response, building lean, tight and stronger muscles. Although you may not be a powerlifter or body builder, the concept is still roughly the same for anyone looking to get in better shape. You must lift heavier, challenging weight to get the results.
Strength
Who wouldn’t want to keep their strength as they age and maybe even increase it? This can easily be accomplished by lifting challenging weights that will promote bigger, stronger muscles, helping you stay mobile and increase your quality of life. It will also help stall the aging process by building or preserving lean tissue that would otherwise be the casualty of aging and the declining hormones that come with getting older.
Fat burn
Research has proven that lifting heavier weights forces your body to release fat-burning hormones like testosterone that accelerate your metabolism and help your body process and burn fat at a faster rate. Testosterone also aids in protein synthesis and promotes mental clarity and stable energy levels. Don’t worry, ladies, you don’t have the same amounts of testosterone in your body as men so you will only tone and you won’t bulk up. Remember, a pound of muscle is three times smaller than a pound of fat.
Hormone release
One of the main characteristics of aging is a consistent decrease of important hormones that impedes your body’s ability to function properly, such as human growth hormone and testosterone; however, lifting challenging weights helps normalize the production of these important bodily chemicals, allowing you to stall the aging process and, in many cases, look and feel 10 to 15 years younger than those the same age who don’t work out.
Bone density
Lifting heavier weights increases bone density and helps prevent diseases like osteoporosis, making your chances of bone fractures less likely. Numerous studies suggest that not only does weight lifting help thicken bones in aging people, but it also helps prevent issues later in life for kids who do weight-bearing exercises before puberty.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about lifting joint-busting poundages that will put you at risk of injury.
Instead, I’m suggesting slowly and progressively working up to weights that are very challenging, but you can do with perfect form to put pressure on the targeted muscles and protect your joints and connective tissue.
