Does weightlifting burn fat? This question is one of the most misunderstood and misplaced questions in fitness. As a result, it leads to weight training that is less effective in optimizing your weight loss journey.
This article will explain the role that lifting weights plays in improving your body composition and provide guidance on achieving exceptional results.
Prepare to lose some pounds with our exclusive 12-week fat loss training program. Choose between a 4 or 5 day training split and torch that stubborn fat, all while retaining, or even gaining muscle…
Lifting Weights To Lose Weight
When people want to build muscle mass and increase strength, the first thing they think of is going to the gym to lift weights – bench presses, squats, and curls.
However, over the past few years, another reason to lift weights has gained significant popularity. We’re talking about losing fat.
In fact, they’re not wrong for doing so! Another significant benefit of following a progressive training program is its role in a comprehensive weight loss plan.
It offers unique benefits, helping to maintain muscle mass and optimize your body composition.
However, there’s a right way to do it!
Weight Lifting Helps Lose Fat, But Is Not For Weight Loss
The headline may seem a bit confusing, so let us explain.
Weightlifting is a crucial component in your overall weight-loss program. However, we don’t think that your entire weight training program should be focused on burning calories – your main goal is building muscle and strength, or at least maintaining it.
Consider this: when bodybuilders want to bulk, what do they do? They lift weights and eat more. So, if lifters lift weights when they want to bulk, why would we assume weight lifting’s primary benefit is to lose weight?
A Workout Plan Should Not Be Written To Lose Fat
A common mistake we see is people will build their training program to specifically maximize calorie burn. However, this often results in sacrificing muscle and strength-building potential – you don’t want to do this as this is your only tool for that!
Increasing calorie burn in the gym generally consists of training methods such as;
Lower rest periods
Lightweight and high reps
Excessive conditioning exercises
While all of that will likely increase calorie burn, it won’t equate to a significantly greater amount. However, they can possibly negate the muscle-building qualities of a traditional program.
Ultimately, this means you possibly sacrifice optimal muscle retention for a few extra calories – the trade isn’t worth it.
Lifting Weights As Part Of A Fat Loss Program
In reality, lifting weights should play a role in a total weight loss program. Each part serves a unique purpose, and when combined, you achieve outstanding results.
The parts of a weight loss program include;
Strength Training – The primary goal of strength training is to mitigate muscle loss and optimize body composition. It will also provide a slight increase in caloric burn.
Proper Nutrition – Nutrition is the primary determinant of fat loss. You must control your calories and eat the proper nutrients. We’ll go into this further below.
Cardio – Cardio will help burn calories and improve your cardiovascular health. Furthermore, it will enable you to handle larger workloads.
Increased Activity – This refers to general activity, such as increased walking. Don’t underestimate this, as it can result in significant caloric burn.
To be clear, we believe that everyone should incorporate weightlifting into their overall weight-loss program. However, you should use weight training with the primary goal of maintaining your muscle mass rather than burning calories.
Weight Lifting For Strength And Fat Loss
(Weightlifting for strength: Link Pillar) and fat loss are actually much more similar than they are different.
As you’ll see below, a resistance training plan optimized for general strength and building muscle will have about 75%-90% similarity to a training plan optimized for fat loss, if there’s any difference at all.
Even if you don’t change your training plan at all, you’ll still lose weight if your nutrition is taken care of. However, there are some variables you can adjust to maximize calorie burn, which we’ll discuss below.
How To Maximize Weight Loss With Resistance Training
We’re now going to go through some tips and tricks that you can use to maximize calorie burn while still providing the stimulus needed for muscle growth.
Focus On Progressive Training
When you enter the gym, your primary goal remains to follow a progressive training program. This simply means that every week, you will attempt to increase the workload placed on your muscles.¹
Many people who lift weights to burn calories can simply go through the motions – this won’t produce optimal results. Applying progressive overload will ensure you are training with the proper intensity to maximize your benefits.
Concentrate On Compound Exercises
The majority of your exercises should be compound exercises. Compound exercises require two or more joints and multiple muscle groups. Some of the primary compound exercises include;
Back Squats
Deadlifts
Barbell Rows
Chin-Ups
Using compounds will provide numerous benefits. For one, they’re ideal for building strength and muscle.
When it comes to fat loss, they are ideal for several reasons, including;
Training more muscle mass means more calories burned
You use heavier loads, which theoretically require more work and calories
Can train more muscles in less time
Include A Range Of Loads
Similar to what we discussed above, many people who lift weights to burn fat will stick to higher reps, as they believe that it burns more calories.
Again, calorie burn is not your primary goal.
Therefore, it is advisable to use a wide range of loads. This includes;
4-6
8-10
12+
In fact, there’s a theory that using heavier loads (>85% 1RM) is ideal for preserving muscle mass. This is because it requires greater muscle activation and is “giving your body a need” to keep the muscle.
There are no studies to confirm this, but it makes sense theoretically. Your body adapts to the environment in which it’s. Placing it in an environment where it needs greater muscle strength is likely going to result in preservation.
Circuit Training For Isolation And Smaller Accessory Exercises
One effective tactic for utilizing weight training to achieve fat loss while boosting caloric burn is the use of circuit training.² However, use it for the second half of your training when you perform your smaller accessory and isolation work.
Spend the first half of your session focusing on your major compound exercises with a traditional rep scheme. This will provide you with the quality of muscle retention.
You can then spend the second half of your training performing a circuit with your smaller exercises. This will allow you to get more work in and increase your heart rate at the end.
Heavy Eccentrics Or Burnout Sets On Your Last Set
Remember that calorie burn from training occurs not only from the increased physical activity but also from the recovery afterward. Therefore, in theory, placing extra work on the muscle at the end of a set will require more recovery, and your body will return to its homeostatic state.
This could be done in several ways.³
Heavy Eccentrics
Drops Sets
Rest-Pause Sets
Using these tactics strategically can maximize your burn.
Use Anaerobic Conditioning Exercises
This includes exercises such as;
Sled work
Farmer carries
Kettlebell work
These exercises are a great blend of stimulating muscle growth and maximizing calorie burn. By incorporating them into your workouts, you can reap the benefits of both worlds.
EMOM (Every Minute On The Minute)
EMOMs can be a powerful tool to maximize muscle protein synthesis and caloric burn, especially when performed with heavier loads.
For example, choose a larger compound exercise, such as the push press, and use 85% of your one-repetition maximum (1RM). Generally, you would perform around 5 reps with this load.
For an EMOM, you would perform 3 reps every minute for 5 minutes.
0:00 – 3 Reps
1:00 – 3 Reps
2:00 – 3 Reps
3:00 – 3 Reps
4:00 – 3 Reps
Benefits Of Weight Lifting For Weight Loss
Before we start this article, we want to be very clear; fat loss is just one of the numerous benefits that resistance training offers. This means you should engage in strength training, whether you’re trying to lose weight, gain weight, or maintain your weight.
However, if you are trying to lose weight, you should definitely incorporate weightlifting into your routine. That’s because it offers very unique benefits that will be optimized.
Preserves Muscle Mass
Perhaps the most unique and important benefit you get from weightlifting is that it will preserve your muscle mass. If you think about it, there’s no other way to do this other than hitting the gym.
When you lose weight, you’re naturally going to be in a caloric deficit, which will likely last for a prolonged period. During this period, you’re at risk of losing lean mass as your body is searching for energy.
By incorporating weightlifting into your program, you can significantly mitigate this, if not completely nullify it, and possibly even add muscle.
This will significantly improve your overall body composition.
Maintains Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)
While sometimes exaggerated, there is a chance that your resting metabolic rate (RMR) can decrease during weight loss.
RMR is basically the amount of calories you burn at rest to support physiological processes and basic levels of activity.
During periods of decreased calorie intake, your RMR can decrease slightly in an attempt to compensate for the reduced energy availability. What this ultimately means is that you won’t burn as many calories.
Following a progressive resistance training program has been shown to help mitigate this, if not increase your RMR.⁴
Burn Extra Calories
While burning calories isn’t the primary objective when you lift weights, you’re still going to burn some!
Although we don’t think it should be your primary concern, being more active will always contribute to overall calorie burn.
Does Building Muscle Burn Fat?
A common claim you’ll hear is that building muscle will help burn fat or even increase the number of calories burned.
Unfortunately, while true, this phenomenon has been greatly exaggerated.
Common myths will claim that one pound of muscle burns 30-50 calories! Think about that. It’s not uncommon for a beginner lifter to gain at least 10-15 pounds of muscle in their first year of training. This suggests that their caloric expenditure increases by 450-750 calories!
In reality, the number is closer to just 6 calories per pound at rest.⁵ If you’re involved in resistance training and are active, this can jump to 10-13 calories for most people.
This means if you gain 10 pounds of muscle, you’re likely only looking at an extra 100 calories burned – but that’s still better than nothing!
However, remember that this is in addition to all the other benefits. Therefore, rather than think about it as your main course, it’s just a cherry on top.
Nutrition For Lifting Weights To Burn Fat
It may sound clichéd or repetitive, but nutrition is key when you’re trying to lose weight.
As we discussed above, your training program shouldn’t look significantly different between losing weight and gaining weight. When you want to lose weight, you commit to your program and closely monitor your calorie intake.
Follow these basic guidelines to maximize your weight loss with weight lifting;
1. Get In A 300-500 Caloric Deficit – You don’t want your calorie intake to be too excessive, as this can lead to fatigue and unnecessary muscle loss. Aim for a daily 300-500 caloric deficit.
2. Increase Your Protein – When lifting weights and trying to lose fat, you should actually consume a greater amount of protein. This will help keep you feeling full and mitigate muscle loss. Aim to eat at least 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight, but know that 2.5g/kg/day and greater have been found to give better outcomes in terms of body composition.
3. Eat At Least 100-150g Of Carbs – Now is not the time to experiment with ultra-low carbs. If you’re not adapted, it can result in fatigue and poor performance. Eat at least 100-150g of quality carbs daily.
4. Get At Least 30% Of Your Calories From Fat – Nutritional fat serves numerous essential functions, including supporting hormone production and the transport of vitamins. Therefore, ensure you’re getting plenty!. Aim to get at least 30% of your calories from healthy fats.
5. Concentrate On Whole Foods – Get the majority of your foods from whole foods. This will ensure you get all of your vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients. Further, it will allow you to eat more volume and keep you feeling satisfied. We suggest following the 80/20 diet – check out this article for a breakdown.
Lifting Weights Vs. Cardio: What’s Better For Fat Loss?
One of the biggest questions people ask is whether weightlifting or cardio is better for weight loss.
The problem is when people ask this, they’re implying they only want to do one of them. In our opinion, it’s best to incorporate components of both into your overall program at all times.
With that nuance out of the way, let’s get to the question.
Studies Vary On Which Is Better
This question has become so popular that even scientists have tried to answer it! However, the research isn’t even clear.
Some studies suggest that resistance training is the ideal mode of exercise, while others indicate that cardio has the advantage.⁶ This is likely due to the large amount of variety that is possible.
However, in all these studies, combined strength and resistance training consistently ranks at the top.
Take a look at our dedicated article, which provides in-depth details on this topic.
Use Weight Lifting And Cardio In Your Fat Loss Program
As we discussed earlier, both play a unique role in weight loss and overall health. Therefore, don’t stress out over which one is best.
Ultimately, unless there are special circumstances, both should be included in your fat loss program. This will ensure you receive all the fat loss benefits, as well as the health benefits.
Strength Training For Weight Loss Summarized
Although the role of strength training in fat loss has been overcomplicated over the years and applied incorrectly, this doesn’t mean it’s not important. In fact, it’s extremely important!
When deciding whether to lift weights for weight loss, the answer is always yes. However, you simply need to adjust your perspective. By following the guidelines and tips in this article, you can ensure not only maximizing your fat loss but also improving your overall body composition.
Prepare to lose some pounds with our exclusive 12-week fat loss training program. Choose between a 4 or 5 day training split and torch that stubborn fat, all while retaining, or even gaining muscle…
References
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Duck-chul Lee, Angelique G Brellenthin, Lorraine M Lanningham-Foster, Marian L Kohut, Yehua Li, Aerobic, resistance, or combined exercise training and cardiovascular risk profile in overweight or obese adults: the CardioRACE trial, European Heart Journal, Volume 45, Issue 13, 1 April 2024, Pages 1127–1142, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehad827
