Strength training for weight loss: what actually works

When people decide to lose weight they usually reach for cardio. Cardio has its place, but strength training is the part most plans are missing, and it is the part that decides whether the weight stays off.

Why muscle matters when you are losing weight

When you eat less than you burn, your body loses fat, but it can also lose muscle. Strength training gives your body a reason to keep the muscle. That is the difference between ending up lighter and ending up lighter, stronger and better able to keep going.

How often to train

For most people two to four strength sessions a week is plenty, with the whole body worked across the week. More is not better if it leaves you too sore or too busy to be consistent. The best schedule is the one you can keep for months.

Get a little stronger, often

The principle behind every good program is progression: a little more weight, an extra repetition or better control than last time. Without it, the body has no reason to change. Technique comes first, load second, so the lifts stay safe as they get heavier.

The habits that do most of the work

• Food. A modest, sustainable deficit beats a crash diet. Protein at each meal helps you feel full and supports the muscle you are working for.
• Daily movement. Walking adds up. The activity outside your workouts often matters as much as the workouts.
• Sleep. Short sleep makes hunger harder to manage and training harder to recover from.
• Patience. Weight goes up and down from day to day. Look at the trend over weeks.

Where cardio and boxing fit

Conditioning still helps your heart and adds to the calories you burn. Pad work and boxing rounds are a good way to get it, because they are hard work that does not feel like a treadmill. Many people do strength one day and conditioning the next.

If you have a medical condition, are taking medication or have not exercised in a long time, check with your doctor before starting a new program.