Why You Need Strength Workouts, Not Just Fat Loss

While most women go into a weight loss or fitness program looking to shed some pounds, we know the number on the scale shouldn’t be the only focus. Sure, it’s one measurement of fitness, but it doesn’t tell the whole story.

That’s because fat loss isn’t the only thing you need when you want to build a better body. What a lot of people don’t know is that you also need lean muscle mass. And you can only get that by strength training, which doesn’t mean hitting the gym and bulking up. Most women can’t achieve that ‘bulky’ look because females don’t produce enough testosterone. However, lifting heavy is how you get lean legs and toned arms.

There are other health benefits, too. Research shows lifting weights helps prevent bone and muscle loss, and women who lift weights at least four days a week, maintain muscle mass while losing fat. Not only do you get the physique you want, you also improve health issues like decreasing heart disease risk factors.

While strength training alone boosts metabolism enough to promote fat loss, combining it with cardio and proper nutrition accelerates the process. The FASTer Way to Fat Loss is the only clinically proven fitness app to preserve and even build muscle while losing the fat you want.
The FASTer Way incorporates head-to-toe strength circuits four times a week. Balancing total body resistance sessions with targeted lower and upper body workouts allows proper recovery while creating muscular endurance and mass. This strategy also allows clients to lift heavier and fully activate fast twitch muscle fibers - key stimuli for muscular gains and hormonal response.

The FASTer Way to Fat Loss strength sessions are 30 minute workouts that don’t require you to be in a gym. Clients can use weights at home, resistance bands, or even body weight to achieve results.

Muscle Burns Fat

Many people seeking weight loss fail to realize retaining muscle matters just as much as shedding fat. But scientific evidence shows failing to preserve lean mass can sabotage your health and metabolism as you slim down. In a study where clients followed a low-calorie diet and exercise regimen, those who lost muscle also had the greatest drop in resting metabolic rate. That means, they weren’t burning as much fat. Resting metabolism counts for about 70% of your daily calorie burn. Let’s say that again. Resting metabolism, the calories you are burning while doing nothing, make up the majority of how many calories you use each day. If you aren’t strength training, you aren’t building muscle, and if you aren’t building muscle, you are missing out on burning the most calories possible.

So, while trimming excess fat protects health, retaining or even gaining lean mass through thoughtful strength training provides the ultimate metabolism-revving environment to support successful weight management for life.

You Still Need Strength Training Even If (Especially If) You’re Taking Weight Loss Drugs

When it comes to transforming body composition, simply losing pounds of mixed fat and muscle on the scale frequently leads to weight regain. Unfortunately, the latest crop of injectable semi-glutide drugs used for diabetes and obesity like Ozempic don’t necessarily target fat loss only. These medications help reduce appetite and calorie intake. But reduced calories coupled with the drug’s impact on boosting insulin levels can trigger loss of both fat AND lean muscle tissue. Since muscle drives metabolism, indiscriminate weight loss sabotages the body’s future ability to self-regulate appetite and weight. While injectables like Ozempic show short term promise for glucose control and weight loss, individuals focused on body recomposition over just scale weight should pursue an exercise program and nutrition plan specifically designed to shed fat while developing strength, tone, and lifelong metabolism-friendly muscle.

Combining regular strength training that progressively challenges muscles with sufficient protein intake, high intensity cardio intervals and managed calorie intake through intermittent fasting or carb cycling unlocks this sweet spot. Programs like the FASTer Way to Fat Loss leverage these synergies through a strategic blend of resistance workouts, HIIT cardio sessions and dialed-in nutrition. Along with revving daily calorie burn, preserving or building shapely, metabolism-boosting muscle tissue optimizes your lifelong wellness journey by keeping you active, vibrant, and independent for decades to come. So, embrace strength as the fountain of youth allowing you to feel healthy and comfortable in your own skin at any age!