Strength Training For Weight Loss

One of the most common questions in the fitness industry is one which indicates that many people have inadequate knowledge in regards to the benefits of strength training. A popular question that gets asked begins along the following lines: "What exercises do I need to do to work my______ (add your own muscle of choice - legs, ab, back, arms etc)? Irrespective of the muscle they desire to train, the common emphasis of the question regards the need to isolate the muscle to gain the full effects of strength training. It is perceived by the questioners that isolation leads to superior development or results.

This line of thinking requires addressing in this strength training article. The body does not work well in isolation. Full range compound movements that work along a kinetic chain work large sections of the body but are assisted by other muscles. There is really no such thing as true muscle isolation because supporting muscles always come into play as part of the movement you are doing. The basis of this article is to examine weight strength training via the performance of multi-joint complex movements as opposed to isolation movements.

When you attempt to do isolation movements, you are actually doing exercises that are more prone to bodily injury. Basically you are developing a body that is a compilation of body parts as opposed to a strong and powerful body that works together. If you really want to persist with isolation movements you should consider the joint problems, tendonitis and excess body fat that goes hand in hand with this type of training.

If you want a lean, muscular, functional and injury free body that works as a powerful unit then you should shift your focus to muscle strength training as opposed to an isolation mindset. By shifting your emphasis to how the body functions, the resultant side effect will be a body that looks superior than if you had of focused your training on muscle isolation. If you want a first example, take a look at the physiques of any world class sprinters, NFL running back or wide receivers. These guys pretty much never train with isolation exercises (not encourage by strength coaches), yet they have ripped and hard bodies.

Another fringe benefit of complex muscle strength training is that you will find it much easier to shred body fat. The reason for this is that multi-joint complex movements burn more calories and increase your metabolic rate. This stimulates the production of more fat building hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone.

An example will illustrate this better. The leg extension machine is a piece of equipment that primarily works the quadriceps, can create long run knee joint instability and doesn't burn many calories. Compound movements such as squats, lunges and deadlifts work large muscle groups and many supporting muscles groups. These multi-joint complex movements create greater overall functional strength and burn massive amounts of calories in comparison to isolation exercises. For maximum muscle gain, fat loss and training for strength, try designing your workouts to consist of high intensity strength training compound movements.

Do you want to increase your strength, lose weight and get a hard and defined body?

An article on the importance of aerobic exercise.

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