In one of my favorite weight loss books by Bill Phillips, he says that if you start out looking like a pear, and do nothing but cardio for your weight loss, you will just end up looking like a smaller pear. Sure, you will lose weight, but to really transform your body you absolutely need to incorporate strength training.

A common misconception is that you will “bulk up” if you do any kind of strength training. The truth is, you have to lift a LOT of heavy, heavy weight for a long time to really bulk up. When you do regular strength training for weight loss, your body will look toned and defined, not bulky. I’m not saying that you need to spend hours in the gym every day pumping iron to burn fat. I AM saying that by incorporating weight training into your regimen, you will lose more fat and reshape your body.

Strength Training for Weight Loss – Why is it important?

When you only do cardio, you burn calories while you are doing the cardio, and for a short time afterward. If you want to burn more calories during the day, you have to do more cardio. When you do strength training, you burn calories while you are doing the exercise, and for a lot longer after you are finished. Burning calories for longer after an exercise session is not the only benefit. As you increase your muscle mass, your resting metabolism increases because muscle takes more energy to maintain than fat. An increased metabolism means that you are burning more calories all day long, even when you are not exercising!

It is important to incorporate a balance of different types of cardio AND strength training for weight loss. When you consistently do both, combined with a healthy diet and plenty of rest, you will see the results you are looking for.

Yesterday I tried the farmer’s walk for the first time. Basically you grab the heaviest set of dumbbells you can carry and start walking. Some people use trap bars (which are a longer bar) but that’s even more challenging so if you have never done the farmer’s walk before I’d suggest starting with dumbbells. I started with 2 70 lb dumbbells. I got half way around the track and had to stop of a rest. By the time I got back to the weight area I nearly dropped the dumbbells. I rested for a while, grabbed some 65 lb dumbbells and did it again.

It is a great way to strengthen your forearms and your grip and it will pay dividends with other exercises that you do. It also gets your heart pumping pretty good and is great for your shoulders. If you have a weak back be very careful with this one.

Here’s a video that shows the farmer’s walk in action. I can’t understand a word he’s saying for the first minute or so because the volume is so low, but at least you can see what the exercise looks like.

Farmers Walk, 3 Sets with 50 LBS Each Hand With Towels By Tuan Tran

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