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Ryan Fritz

Can Resistance Training Cause Weight Gain? 2024


Many people steer clear from resistance training because they think it will make them gain weight or bulk up. As a result, they stick to low-impact exercises and generally only do cardio workouts, skipping the weight room altogether.

 

If you fall into this category, I’m sorry to say but you’re making a big mistake. This controversial belief on strength training and weight gain can actually prevent you from reaching your fitness goals and might even have long-term health consequences. In reality, resistance training can help you prevent weight gain, and not only that but also improve body composition, and bring lasting health benefits.

Just continue reading, and you’ll learn today why adding strength training to your regular exercise routine is super important for achieving almost any health/fitness goal!

 

You Will Burn More Calories with Resistance Training

 

Resistance training can really rev up your calorie expenditure in a couple of ways. First off, you will obviously burn calories during training as you lift weights and do resistance exercises, in fact you’ll shed more calories than if you did cardio. And here’s the best part, your body keeps burning those calories at a higher rate for hours to days.

This post-exercise boost is known as the “afterburn effect,” where your metabolism stays elevated. Studies have shown that after just one session, your resting energy expenditure can jump by about 5%, sticking around for up to 72 hours.

 

Another amazing thing about resistance training is that it helps you build muscle. Unlike fat, muscle tissue is active and burns calories even when you’re resting. So, the more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate becomes. Research suggests that regular resistance training can crank up your resting metabolic rate by roughly 7% no matter your age (1).

 

Therefore, consistent resistance training can ultimately help you burn more calories throughout the day, thus aiding with your weight loss goals, rather than making you big and blocky.

 

 

New Body Composition

 

To simplify, body composition is the proportion of fat and fat-free mass (which consists of muscle, bone, organs, water and connective tissue). Factors such as lack of physical activity, poor diet, aging, and certain health conditions can lead to a significant increase in fat mass. Resistance training can counteract this change by increasing muscular development, maintaining or improving bone density, and reducing fat.

 

Tracking changes in body composition over time can be more informative than simply tracking body weight. This is because your weight may stay the same even as you gain muscle and lose fat. For instance, one study found that older adults who completed a 26-week resistance-training program saw a significant decrease in fat mass (6.8 lbs) and an increase in fat-free mass (4.4 pounds) yet their overall body weight remained almost unchanged (2).

 

This study demonstrated that you don’t need to be concerned about “bulking up.” Unless you are a professional bodybuilder, or a super advanced lifter that specifically aims to train, eat, and supplement with the purpose of maximizing muscle size and weight gain, you will not experience this effect. Instead, by changing your body composition through increased muscle and reduced fat, resistance training can help you reshape completely.

 

Increased Strength

 

Regular resistance training can greatly boost strength in both young and senior lifters. Even low-intensity muscle training can yield positive effects, but more substantial strength gains happen with higher intensity workouts. As we age, strength loss can lead to reduced functionality, slower walking speed, higher risk of falls, loss of independence, and a lower quality of life in general. Since maximum strength typically peaks around age 30 and starts declining around age 50, integrating resistance training into your fitness regime is crucial throughout life to maintain and improve strength and overall physical ability.

 


Rejuvenated Health

 

In addition to weight, body composition and strength-related benefits, resistance training has also many other positive health outcomes. Research suggests that resistance/strength training can help prevent and treat a myriad of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and even cancer.

Furthermore, resistance training has been closely linked to positive mental health outcomes including better cognition, self-esteem, fatigue, anxiety, and depression.


Conclusion

 

To summarize, resistance training stands out not only for its ability to enhance strength across all age groups, but also for its profound impact on body composition and metabolism.


Contrary to common belief, resistance training does not lead to weight gain or excessive muscle bulk unless specifically pursued with that goal in mind. Instead, it promotes the development of lean muscle mass while reducing fat, reshaping the body and contributing to long-term weight management. Moreover, it significantly boosts calorie expenditure both during and after workouts, promoting a higher metabolic rate and ongoing calorie burn.

 

So, feel free to embrace resistance training as a fundamental part of your fitness routine, you are not just improving your physical performance – you’re investing in long-term health and well-being.

 

References:

 

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