Does Weight Lifting Burn Belly Fat

No disrespect to cardio, but if you want to blast fat, get in shape, and jump every hurdle that comes your way — both in and out of the gym — strength training is where it's at. And experts agree: Heavy lifting has some incredible benefits! You can't open any social media feed without some fitness pro, or athlete telling you to get on board with not only lifting weights but liftingheavierweights.

But what are the real deal benefits of lifting weights? And should you try it if you're already happy with your current workout routine? Here, nearly a dozen reasons that'll convince you to pick up those heavy dumbbells.

The Benefits of Lifting Weights

1. You'll Torch More Body Fat

Build more muscle and you'll keep your body burning fat all day long — that's the science behind why lifting weights burns more fat than many other fitness modalities. (Here's all the science behind why muscle helps you burn fat and calories.)

"Lifting weights can increase your lean body mass, which increases the number of overall calories you burn during the day," says Jacque Crockford, C.S.C.S. and spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise. Burning extra calories post-workout plus building muscle? That's the surefire way to get the body you want.

In recent research on overweight or obese adults (age 60 and over), the combination of a low-calorie diet and weight training resulted in greater fat loss than a combination of a low-calorie diet and walking workouts, according to a 2017 study published in the journalObesity. The adults who walked instead of weight trained did lose a comparable amount of weight—but a significant portion of the weight loss included lean body mass. Meanwhile, the adults who did strength training maintained muscle mass while losing fat. This suggests that strength training is better at helping people lose belly fat compared with cardio because while aerobic exercise burns both fat and muscle, weight lifting burns almost exclusively fat.

2. ...And You'll Especially Lose Belly Fat

While it is true that you can't spot reduce — your body is born with pre-conceived places it wants to store fat based on a slew of factors — a University of Alabama study found that the women who lifted weights lost more intra-abdominal fat (deep belly fat) than those who just did cardio. Burning more belly fat may also contribute to general weight loss from lifting weights. And the benefits of lifting weights don't stop there. You'll build a more defined muscular physique, but it also lessens your risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and some cancers. (Not to mention, lifting heavy weights recruits your core, giving you an abs workout without even trying.)

Strength training may have a reputation of making women "bulk up," but it's not true. The more your weight comes from muscle (rather than fat) the leaner you'll be. "In fact, body weight often goes up with strength training, but dress size goes down one or two sizes," says Holly Perkins, C.S.C.S. founder of Women's Strength Nation. Plus, it's difficult for women to get body-builder huge. "Women produce about 5 to 10 percent the amount of testosterone men do, limiting our muscle-building potential when compared to men," says Jen Sinkler, an Olympic lifting coach, kettlebell instructor, and author ofLift Weights Faster. To seriously gain size, you'd pretty much need to live in the weight room. (More proof: What Really Happens When Women Lift Heavy Weights)

young-woman-kettlebell-lifting-weights-benefits

Credit: Nastasic/Getty Images

3. Your Muscles Will Look More Defined

Love the lean, defined muscles on super-fit ladies? "If women want more definition, they should lift heavier since they cannot get bigger muscles because of low testosterone levels," says Jason Karp, an exercise physiologist and author. "So, lifting heavier has the potential to make women more defined." (Seriously. Here's why you can lift heavy and won't bulk up.)

4. You'll Burn More Calories Than Cardio

You may burn more calories during your 1-hour cardio class than you would lifting weights for an hour, but a study published inThe Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that women who lifted weights burned an average of 100 more total calories during the 24 hours after their training session ended. Another study published in theInternational Journal of Sport Nutrition and Metabolismfound that, following a 100-minute strength training session, young women's basal metabolic rate spiked by 4.2 percent for 16 hours after the workout—burning about 60 more calories.

And the effect of this benefit of lifting weights is magnified when you increase the load, as explained in a study in the journalMedicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Women who lifted more weight for fewer reps (85 percent of their max load for 8 reps) burned nearly twice as many calories during the two hours after their workout than when they did more reps with a lighter weight (45 percent of their max load for 15 reps). (Up next: 7 Common Muscle Myths, Busted.)

Why? Your muscle mass largely determines your resting metabolic rate — how many calories you burn by just living and breathing. "The more muscle you have, the more energy your body expends," says Perkins. "Everything you do, from brushing your teeth to sleeping to checking Instagram, you'll be burning more calories," says Perkins.

woman burning calories lifting weights in a crossfit gym

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5. You'll Strengthen Your Bones

Weight lifting doesn't only train your muscles; it trains your bones. When you perform a curl, for example, your muscles tug on your arm's bones. The cells within those bones react by creating new bone cells, says Perkins. Over time, your bones become stronger and denser.

The key to this one is consistency, as research has shown that lifting heavy weights over time not only maintains bone mass but can even build new bone, especially in the high-risk group of post-menopausal women. (Psst...Yoga has some bone-strengthening benefits too.)

6. You'll Get Stronger, Obv

Lifting lighter weights for more reps is great for building muscle endurance, but if you want to increase your strength, increasing your weight load is key. Add compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and rows to your heavy weights and you'll be amazed at how fast you'll build strength. (Here's what really counts as lifting heavy and how often you should do it.)

This particular benefit of lifting weights has a big payoff. Everyday activities (carrying groceries, pushing open a heavy door, hoisting a kid) will be easier—and you'll feel like an unstoppable powerhouse, too.

7. You'll Prevent Injury

So go ahead, squat low. Your knees will thank you. "Proper strength training is actually the solution to joint issues," says Perkins. "Stronger muscles better hold your joints in position, so you won't need to worry about your knee flaring up during your next run."

Woman running on a track

Credit: Brooke Schaal Photography/Getty Images

8. You'll Be a Better Runner

This might be a surprising benefit of lifting weights for some long-time runners, but it's one that shouldn't be ignored. Stronger muscles mean better performance — period. Your core will be better able to support your body's weight and maintain ideal form during other exercises (like running), plus your arms and legs will be more powerful. What's more, since strength training increases the number and size of calorie-torching muscle fibers fueling your performance, strength training could actually help you burn more calories during your cardio workouts, says Perkins.

9. You'll Increase Your Flexibility

Ignore that super ripped guy fumbling in yoga class for just a minute. Researchers from the University of North Dakota pitted static stretches against strength-training exercises and found that full-range resistance training workouts can improve flexibility just as well as your typical static stretching regimen.

The key word here is "full-range," notes Sinkler. If you can't complete the full motion — going all the way up and all the way down — with a given weight, you may need to use a lighter dumbbell and work up to it.

Athletes doing push-ups and lifting weights on floor causing carpal tunnel

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10. You'll Boost Heart Health

Cardiovascular exercise isn't the only exercise that's, well, cardiovascular. In fact, strength training can up your heart health, too. In one Appalachian State University study, people who performed 45 minutes of moderate-intensity resistance exercise lowered their blood pressure by 20 percent. That's as good as—if not better than—the benefits associated with most blood pressure pills. (Related: How to Use Heart Rate Zones to Train for Max Exercise Benefits)

11. You'll Feel Empowered

Throwing around some serious iron doesn't just empower people in the movies. Lifting heavier weights — and building strength as a result — comes with a big self-esteem boost, and this might just be the biggest benefit of lifting weights above all other aesthetic factors. Your strength will not only show in your lean, toned body, but also in your attitude. (See: 18 Ways Weight Lifting Will Change Your Life.)

"Strength has a funny way of bleeding into all areas of your life, in the gym and out," says Sinkler. By constantly challenging yourself to do things you never thought possible, your confidence grows. "Weight lifting empowers you," she says.

Does Weight Lifting Burn Belly Fat

Source: https://www.shape.com/fitness/tips/benefits-lifting-weights-strength-training