Losing weight (and keeping it off) is more complicated than the calories you eat being less than the calories you burn. Without strength training while dieting you risk losing lean muscle mass which is really important to keep your metabolism going.
Your muscles need energy to work, so the more muscle mass you have the more calories you burn over the course of a day. It works like this, for every pound of muscle you gain you will burn 35 to 50 more calories a day. Now that has got to be great incentive to add strength training into your routine if you are trying to lose weight.
Here is another inspirational fact for strength training to build lean muscle: we lose 5% of our muscle mass every ten years after age 35. If you do not intentionally build muscle through exercise you will need to eat 120 to 420 less calories a day to maintain your current weight if you are over 35. I just want to say it is never to early to start building lean muscle - no need to wait until you are 35. So why not start today?
There are so many advantages to strength training, including: benefits to your bones and cardiovascular health, reducing risk of Type 2 diabetes, and protecting your joints.
If you are looking to start a strength training program check out this 4 Minute Starter Arms video. It will get you pumping in no time.
i've been going to the gym for lots of cardio but i can not bring myself to use those machines. i might have to try smaller steps at home first.
Tis true! And once you start strength training, you won't stop. It's really rewarding when you start to notice how much more you can hold in your hand, or how strong you feel. I love it!