Guide to Resistance Training for Long-Term Weight Management

Roughly one-half of adult Americans try to lose weight every year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (1) The number one method used to achieve this goal? Exercise.  

As a personal trainer, you know that cardio plays a big role in weight loss and weight maintenance. A good cardio workout increases calorie burn. This helps create a calorie deficit, allowing the needle on the scale to go down.

But strength training can assist with this process as well. In fact, a leaner body composition can have a huge impact on a person’s ability to maintain a healthy body weight.

The Connection Between Lean Muscle Mass and Weight

Think of each muscle in the body like a wooden log. The more logs you have—and the bigger they are—the hotter and longer a fire burns. This is the same principle with muscle mass and calories. The more muscle you have, the greater your calorie burn. 

Lean muscle increases calorie usage by increasing resting metabolic rate. This metabolic rate represents the number of calories needed to sustain your body at rest. The higher this number, the more calories you burn, even on days when you don’t exercise. And when it comes to weight loss, every calorie counts.

Strength Training and Weight Maintenance Research

Research supports the connection between lean body mass and weight loss maintenance. One such study involved 60 women, all of whom were between 30 and 50 years old. (2) Some of these women engaged in supervised strength training twice a week. This was followed by unsupervised training for another six months. The remaining women served as a control.

Upon completion of the study, the women engaging in strength training had bigger changes in body composition. Specifically, they gained about 0.89 kilograms (1.96 pounds) more muscle than the control. They also had a greater weight loss, shedding roughly 0.98 kilograms (2.16 pounds) more than their counterparts.

Though this may not seem like much, this study suggests that strength training plays an important role not only in initial weight loss but also in maintaining that loss. Since the second half involved unsupervised weight training sessions, it shows promise that clients can keep their loss long-term.

But Won’t I Gain Weight with Resistance Exercise?

If weight training increases muscle mass, doesn’t this mean that your body will get bigger when lifting weights? Yes and no.

When done correctly, strength training makes the muscle bigger. Technically, this can increase the girth of the area being worked. However, muscle is tighter than body fat. Therefore, even though it can increase size, the area becomes firmer. This creates a more appealing body composition.

Plus, the more muscle you build, the greater your metabolic rate. The greater your metabolic rate, the more calories you burn consistently over time. This contributes to a lower body fat percentage overall.

Resistance Training for Long-Term Weight Management: 4 Factors to Consider

One review of several studies involving weight training and weight loss provides insight into what type of resistance program may work best. (3) The four factors to consider are the type of muscle action, workout intensity, movement speed, and rest between sets.

Muscle Action

Muscle responds differently depending on whether the action is concentric, eccentric, or isometric. All of these have positive effects but eccentric actions appear to be the best for generating micro-lesions. These lesions are what helps the muscle grow.

Eccentric motion is known as the negative part of the exercise. It is the lowering of the weight in a bicep curl or the lowering of the body in a pushup. Continuing to engage the muscle during this downward motion moves clients one step closer to their weight loss goals.

Workout Intensity

This review noted that the typical recommendation is to use a weight that allows for no more than 6 and 12 reps. The reason for this is that fewer reps with heavier weights is better for increasing muscle size (hypertrophy). The bigger the muscle, the more calories you burn even while at rest.

The client’s goals must be considered as well. If they are after improved muscle strength and endurance, for instance, fewer sets (1-2) with more reps (20-28) may be better at achieving this goal. 

Movement Speed

Another factor to consider is how fast to lift and lower the weight. Energy expenditure is greater when the weight is lifted faster. Lifting faster is also better at increasing muscle size, again, increasing calorie usage.

The key with movement speed is to not sacrifice form. Each weight lifting exercise must be completed in the proper position. This helps reduce injury risk. It also works to isolate the muscle the exercise is intended to target.

Resting Between Sets

Doing one set, resting for a short period of time, then doing another set helps increase the metabolic rate even more. The reason for this is because longer pauses give the body the opportunity to regenerate creatine phosphate. Shorter pauses force it to rely on fat for energy intake.

For the best effect, these pauses should range from 45 seconds to 90 minutes in length. These tend to raise metabolic rate more than resting longer periods, such as 3-5 minutes.

A Sample Strength Training Program

What does a resistance training program look like, taking into account all of these elements? Here is an example of an upper body routine that can help build muscle mass and aid in fat loss at the same time:

• 5 minutes – warm up, light intensity aerobic training such as walking

• Bench press – 6-12 reps, lifting as fast as possible while keeping good form

• Rest 45-90 seconds

• Overhead press – 6-12 reps, lifting as fast as possible while keeping good form

• Rest 45-90 seconds

• Bent over row – 6-12 reps, lifting as fast as possible while keeping good form

• Rest 45-90 seconds

• Deadlift – 6-12 reps, lifting as fast as possible while keeping good form

• Rest 45-90 seconds

• Bicep curls – 6-12 reps, lifting as fast as possible while keeping good form

• Rest 45-90 seconds

• Triceps dips – 6-12 reps, lifting as fast as possible while keeping good form

• Rest 45-90 seconds

• 5 minutes – cool down, incorporating light stretching

The same type of program can be used for the lower body. Simply exchange these exercises with those designed to work the abs, glutes, hips, and legs instead. Alternate between the two to ensure that every muscle group is worked.

Another option is high-intensity interval training or HIIT. This type of regimen is based on fast movements and minimal rest between sets. Exercises that offer eccentric motions can be incorporated and shorter spurts naturally equate to fewer reps.

Here’s one example of what this type of program may look like if the goal was to reduce body weight:

• 5 minutes – warm up by walking or doing some other light aerobic activity

• 30 seconds – squats

• 30 seconds – bicep curls

• 10 seconds – rest

• 30 seconds – chest presses

• 30 seconds – plank

• 10 seconds – rest

• 30 seconds – lunges

• 30 seconds – triceps dips

• 10 seconds – rest

• 30 seconds – crunches

• 30 seconds – shoulder presses

• 10 seconds – rest

• 30 seconds – deadlifts

• 30 seconds – bent over rows

• 10 seconds – rest

• Repeat all of the 30 and 10-second intervals for a more strenuous workout

• 5 minutes – cool down and stretching

Combining Strength Training, Cardio, and Diet for Maximum Fat Loss

Strength training is only one component of a long-term weight management program. So, in addition to creating a low-rep, high-speed resistance training program that incorporates eccentric actions and limited rest, other elements also need to be considered.

Cardio is one. Aerobic movements help sustain weight loss but offer other benefits as well. Engaging in cardiovascular exercise creates a stronger, healthier heart. This can lead to a longer, higher quality of life. Walking, running, swimming, and other forms of aerobic exercise are all part of a complete fitness program.

Diet is just as important for weight loss and maintenance. If calorie intake exceeds calorie expenditure, weight gain occurs. The extra energy is stored as body fat. When this happens consistently over time, weight goes up versus coming down.

Food choices can also contribute to higher body weight. Processed foods are often higher in fat and calories while being lower in nutrients. Whole, natural foods are the opposite, supplying the body the vitamins and minerals it needs without contributing to weight gain or increasing obesity risk.

Creating a program that includes both aerobic and strength training workouts while also providing diet advice gives clients the best chance of success. It turns short term weight loss into long term weight maintenance. It provides all of the tools they need to live a longer, healthier life.

Learn more tips for helping clients manage their weight by earning your Weight Management Specialist certification. This course shares a large variety of factors that can make a client gain and lose weight. It also builds the skills needed to create a safe, effective long-term weight management program. 

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018, July 12). Attempts to Lose Weight Among Adults in the United States, 2013–2016. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db313.htm 

2. Schmitz, K., Jensen, M., Kugler, K. et al. Strength training for obesity prevention in midlife women. Int J Obes 27, 326–333 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0802198

3. Ribeiro da Mota, G., et al. (2010). Strength training and weight loss - Repositório Digital unip. UNIP Digital Repository. Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://repositorio.unip.br/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/V28_n4_2010_p337-340.pdf