Weight training is effective for everyone
Weight training is one of the most effective methods for losing fat, shaping your body and maintaining a healthy weight - whether you are male or female, young or old.
Weight training, done correctly, will help increase the amount of muscle tissue you have, which in turn will increase your metabolic rate (one of the benefits being that you can diet on a higher amount of calories).
We always prioritise weights over cardio, as when you lose body fat your physique will have a much more pleasing appearance as weights will actually change the shape of your body, whereas cardio just burns calories.
Health-wise, weight training has so many benefits to help people stay feeling younger, vibrant and healthier for longer in their lives. The benefits include, increased muscle mass, strength and mobility, improved bone health, cognitive function, blood sugar control, and better metabolism and hormonal environment.
Don't be scared to lift heavy
There's a long-held misconception that it's heavy weights for men, light weights for women.
But whether you are male or female, if you are trying to lose body fat, then lifting heavy weights (and remember 'heavy' is a relative term to each individual) is incredibly effective.
Doing 1,000 reps with a 2 kg dumbbell isn't enough to stimulate muscle growth needed to improve body composition.
Performing big 'compound' exercises like the squat, deadlifts and pull-ups are a great bang-for-your-buck way to recruit more muscle mass in training and burn more calories.
If you're new to weightlifting, it's best to start out performing a full-body workout programme three times a week.
Controlling calories and quality nutrition are essential
People think going to the gym a few times a week will cancel out all of their poor diet and lifestyle habits. It won't.
The old saying 'you can't out-train a bad diet' holds true. There is no way around it, calories count! In order to lose weight, you need to be burning more calories than you consume.
But not all calories are created equally. 2,000 calories from sweets and chocolate are not the same as 2,000 calories from lean meat and vegetables.
When it comes to losing weight and shaping your body, the quality of your calories count. Getting the right balance of protein, fats and carbohydrates (collectively called 'macronutrients') is key.
Build your diet around nutrient-dense, single ingredient 'whole' foods like lean meat, fibrous vegetables, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates.
Be active every day
If you want to lose weight, you need to increase your activity levels - and not just the 60 minutes you spend working out at the gym either.
By this, we mean moving more and increasing the amount of activity you do during the whole day. So many people think they just need to do an hour in the gym and they will lose weight. But if they are sedentary for the other 23 hours of the day, their energy expenditure (calories burned) will be pretty low.
Walking and being active every day is the simplest way to increase this energy expenditure and it plays a big part in successful weight loss.
We always advise clients to aim for a minimum 10,000 steps per day and building in activities like walking to work, taking the stairs and carrying the shopping home into their routine which boost the calorie burn far more than a quick session in the gym.
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( With inputs from IANS )