Follow the Path of MOST Resistance! Why Weight Training Is The Fast Track To Sculpting Your Body

Resistance is NOT futile! When it comes to changing your body for the better quickly and permanently, nothing comes close to good old-fashioned weight training.

The shape of your body is determined by three things: muscle, bone and fat. While there's really nothing you can do about changing your bone structure, there is a whole lot you can do about muscle and fat. This ratio of muscle to fat is commonly known as your body composition.

And what is the fastest way to change your body composition? Weight training. Why is it so effective? Because it builds muscle.

Muscle is the key to changing your body. While fat certainly gives your body shape, muscle is what gives you the shape you actually WANT!

One of the greatest things about muscle is that it burns calories all day long, even when you're lying on the couch. What this means is that the more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn during the day and the more you'll be able to eat without gaining weight. Sound interesting? There's more.

Weight training stimulates your metabolism more than aerobic training such as cycling or walking. This means that you'll continue to burn calories long AFTER you've completed your weight training session. The calorie-burning effect of aerobic training generally declines rapidly once you stop the exercise.

Beginning trainers, who are just starting with exercise, are often under the impression that they should stay away from weight training because they might gain weight before they start losing it.

I like to use a car as an analogy. Imagine your body is a car, your muscles are the cylinders in the engine, and your bodyfat is the gas.

With a four-cylinder car, you only burn a minimum amount of gas/fat. Weight training and building more muscle is the equivalent of putting more cylinders into your engine. As you can imagine, you'll burn a whole lot more gas even while idling! And, just like a car with more cylinders, you'll be a lot more powerful too!

The bottom line to you is this...with more muscle, you'll get greater fat loss with less effort.

While it certainly is a possibility that you could gain weight before losing it, if you gauge your success solely by numbers on a scale then you're not getting an accurate picture of yourself. Measure your progress by how you feel, how you look and how well your clothes are fitting, not by which direction the needle on a measuring device is moving.

At the end of the day, I'm not suggesting for a moment that you should eliminate cardiovascular training from your exercise routine, but, if you are struggling to lose fat and keep it off, weight training may be just the thing you need to lose that fat and keep it off for good!

For more information on resistance exercises you can do at home, go to: http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Begin/exercises.htm

For more information on weight training exercises you can do at the gym, including optimized exercise technique, tricks for improving the exercise and common errors, go to: http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Exercises/Exercises.htm

If you are interested in having a personal trainer set up a personalized weight training program for you based on your goals and designed around your life, go to: http://www.fitstep.com/Personal-training/Training/Training.htm

About The Author

Nick Nilsson is Vice President of BetterU, Inc., an online exercise, fitness, and personal training company. Check out his latest eBook "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of" at http://www.thebestexercises.com or visit http://www.fitstep.com. You can contact him at betteru@fitstep.com or subscribe to BetterU News, his fitness newsletter at betterunews@fitstep.com.

---

How to Weight Train for Maximum Muscle Gain

Weight training involves the use of equipment that enables variable... Read More

Welcome Back Everyone!

Ah summer time, it's one of my favorite seasons and... Read More

3 Biggest Benefits of Strength Training

Strength training is exercise that uses resistance to strengthen and... Read More

Monster Triceps

They make up the biggest trio in bodybuilding.No, not Arnold,... Read More

Ab Sculpting Exercise - One Of The Most Productive Exercises For Your Abs That Is Hardly Ever Used

Before I talk about one of the most productive and... Read More

Exercise The Right Way - Barbell Shrugs

Other articles in this series looked at a number of... Read More

Key Elements for a Bigger Bench Press

Proper positioning on a weight bench to maximize leverageKeep the... Read More

Creating An Anabolic State That Supports Muscle Growth

You can only build muscle if your body is in... Read More

Current Dietary Recommendations in Strength Training

Efforts to expand the limits of human strength and endurance... Read More

The Biggest Muscle Mass Gain Myths Exposed

Performing low repetition/heavy weight workouts will enable you to build... Read More

Pipes, Guns, Bazookas - Killer Biceps

Pipes. Guns. Bazookas.Take your pick. Grab your weapon of choice.This... Read More

Lower Body Exercises For Beginning Bodybuilders

The lower body contains some of your biggest muscles which... Read More

Bodybuilding Benefits - The Price for Confidence!

Success came to me at an early age. However, it... Read More

Use This Quick Muscle Building Program for Fast Results

Quick muscle building is the goal of every underweight guy... Read More

Before and After Photos in Fitness Magazines

Some supplement companies will go to any lengths to prove... Read More

Increase Your Training Intensity - Partial Repetitions

You can only build muscle tissue if you can generate... Read More

Celebrity Personal Trainers

Personal Trainer to the Stars!!Celebrity Personal Trainers!!Who are these amazing... Read More

NO2 Muscle Enhancing Hemodialator

Whenever I go to the gym and tell a friend... Read More

Exercise The Right Way - The Machine Shoulder Press

Other articles in this series looked at a number of... Read More

Exercise The Right Way - The Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

Other articles in this series looked at a number of... Read More

The Role Of Repetitions In Your Muscle Building Program

Repetitions are the basic building blocks of any strength or... Read More

The Amazing Benefits of Resistance Training

When it comes to exercise, resistance training is often overlooked.... Read More

How Long Should You Rest Between Muscle Building Sessions?

In an earlier article we concluded that muscles must be... Read More

How These 3 Basic Elements Can Be Used To Boost Your Own Muscle Gains!

The foolish idea that 'more is better' when it comes... Read More

Exercise The Right Way - The Barbell Bent-Over Row

Other articles in this series looked at a number of... Read More

How Stretching Can Explode Your Muscle Growth

When you think about gaining muscle, stretching is probably not... Read More

Muscle Building Workouts at Home!

Most people make an excuse that they don't have time... Read More

Whats Your Body Type?

Yep, there are more than ones body types. I'm sure... Read More

The Importance Of Creatine In Building Lean Muscle

Creatine monohydrate can rightly lay claim to being the most... Read More

Muscle-Building Exercises and Growth-Boosters

I have 'emerged' some subtle bodybuilding techniques that infuse rapid... Read More

Muscle And Fitness -- The Third and Final Key To Successfully Achieving Your Fitness Goals

Before delving into Muscle And Fitness ? The Second Key,... Read More

Water Makes Muscles More Elastic?!

Before you say, "yeah, yeah, yeah I know to drink... Read More

Build More Muscle Mass And Strength Without Supplements

Who should use this method to build muscle quickly?If you're... Read More