For years trainers and gym instructors have delved into the opinion that Cardio is the only way to lose weight comprehensively. Before explaining how resistance training can initiate fat loss, it is pertinent to mention that cardio is effective. However, neither is it the only form of physical fat loss nor is it more effective and beneficial than resistance training.

The concept of losing fat through resistance training will sound weird to people who do not know the logic behind fat loss. The law of thermodynamics state that fat loss within the body is achieved by burning more calories than you are consuming. Resistance training will help maintain lean body mass while your body is operating in a prominent calorie deficit to reduce the body mass.

The Science behind Fat Loss

Numerous studies conducted in this regard build on the fact that there are two types of fibers present within the muscles. Endurance training that comprises activities such as running or indulging in different physically strenuous activities increases the type one muscle fibers. On the other hand, doing resistance training methods such as weight lifting and other such activities, the body generates type two fibers that help us in picking up heavy loads quickly.

Through the use of genetically altered mice, researchers have found out that an increase in the type two muscle fibers, induced through resistance training, can help signal a reduction in the amount of body fat, which will eventually put an end to the risk of diabetes as adults grow older.

By using a genetic trick in obese mice, researchers have found out that the genetically reprogrammed mice had also lost a lot of weight.

Maintaining Your Body Balance

While you might be monitoring the results you are getting on the shape of your body, resistance training maintains an exemplary balance within the body. When you are building muscle mass through resistance training, your body is actually gobbling up all the calories from your food to maintain the growth of the muscles. This ensures that the activity is continuous as the calories are being diverted even when you are resting during the day.

In such a situation, even a slight decrease in your calorie intake will mean that all excess body fat will be hurriedly consumed by the muscles that you are focusing on. Although a good fat loss diet for losing belly fat is recommended, a drastic cut in your food intake will mean that your body may feel threatened by starvation and will store excess fat.

The vital role of resistance training for people willing to lose weight and belly fat has meant that there is now an added responsibility on the shoulders of all trainers. Maintaining a thorough training regime, coupled with a nutritious diet, is something that a trainer now needs to ensure.

The Power of Supplements

If you are interested in fitness and want to improve your body composition, you might have already heard a lot about supplements and their impact on the body. Most people who have ever stepped into a gym would know about Fat loss pills, Protein powders, and Creatine.

All gym instructors get to face a myriad of questions from gym enthusiasts. Two of the most common questions that I would like to address today are:

1. Do Supplements Work?
2. Can you build a similar physique through whole food?

The answer to both these questions is a solid yes. Supplements work, and that is what we will be discussing in detail throughout the course of this article; also, you can indeed get a similar physique by eating whole foods.

In fact, people in the 1950s and earlier used to do exactly this. But, there are huge downsides to following a whole food diet. You have to go to the grocers every other day and have to be like a mini version of your mom.

What supplements do is conflate all that is perfect for improving your body composition into one product that is readily and easily available. Thus, you get to enjoy numerous benefits that you would have to compromise while eating whole foods.

To evaluate how supplements work, we need to study the most common supplements in detail and understand what drivers their demand and effectiveness.

Protein Powder

Protein powders are one of the most extensively used nutritional supplements. You can now purchase and use protein powder made from a large variety of sources. A few of these are:

Whey Protein

Whey protein has been the focus of various placebo-controlled studies that have shown the effectiveness of the ingredient. A study conducted by the Journal of American College of Nutrition pointed out that whey protein has a favorable impact on the composition of one’s body. This favorable impact is considered to be even more effective if the proteins are taken in tandem with resistance training.

While athletes and sportspeople are advised to have a daily protein intake of 1.4 grams/kg of body weight, normal people should be eating anything around 0.8 gram/kg to preserve lean body mass.

Creatine

Creatine, which is one of the most popular supplements, is extensively used by athletes and bodybuilders because of the positive impact it has on their muscular strength. Studies conducted by reliable sources have found that creatine can help build lean muscle mass. Moreover, creatine has also been found to enhance and increase spring performance during agility and resistance training.

Creatine can be considered responsible for building lean muscle mass, and you will see positive changes in your body’s composition if you take it along with resistance training.

BCAAs

BCAAs, or Branched Chain Amino Acids, basically refers to three amino acids: Isoleucine, valine, and leucine, that are important for protein synthesis and play an integral part in energy production and muscle growth/repair. Research conducted on BCAA tells us that increasing levels of amino acids can help build more muscle and can eventually improve your body composition.

You can use a combination of resistance training and supplements to trigger your fat loss routine. Finally, you can regulate your dietary intake to ensure total compliance.