About This Strength Training Thing...

I don't want to look like a bodybuilder! I want to lose weight, not build muscles! The last time I lost a ton of weight by running everyday on the treadmill!  The explanations for resisting strength training during a weight loss programs are abundant, but they generally come from misconceptions of what strength training can/can't do, and the critical role it plays in fat loss.  Below are some of my quick and dirty responses to address all of the "strength training haters" out there. 

• Men and women have devoted their lives to looking like bodybuilders, and the majority fail.  And fail miserably. Why? because to get the type and the amount of muscle you see on the magazine covers require a discipline in their diets that most do not possess, hours of weight training a day for years, gifted genetics, and um, let's be honest, a regular diet of Steroids.  So let me ask the blunt question again, do you really think a 6 or even 12 week program will make you look like a bodybuilder? Or to put it a different way, what would you think if I told you I never play catch with a football because I don't want to become an NFL quarterback? See how silly that sounds?
• Most diets that consist of drastically reducing calories also cause a drastic loss of muscle. In fact, most "starvation" diets without strength training results in 1 lb of muscle loss for every 4 lbs of fat lost.  The reasons as to why, and the ramifications,  are outside the scope of this post, but let's just say that for keeping fat off long term, this will pretty much derail your efforts.  You may feel good at first, because the number on the scale is going down, but you will be setting yourself up for even greater fat-gain later on.  (I will post more on this soon!)
•  Using cardio as the main tool to lose weight WILL shed pounds, but as in my point above, it will cause muscle loss just as fast as starving yourself. And muscle loss sets yourself up for future fat gain.  But maybe I'm trying too hard to convince you......maybe I just need to ask you, do you like spending an hour on the treadmill everyday? 
  

So there are my quick, non-scientific  rebuttals to all you "haters" out there. I will be posting more in-depth articles soon, but I hope I've given you a reason to at least embrace the possibility of incorporating some sort of strength training into your weight loss program.