Once you have increased muscle size and strength from weightlifting, what else is there to do? If you started out very lean and grew muscle, congratulations on your new body. For weightlifters who want to lose more fat while keeping muscle, often the last few pounds of fat are the hardest to lose. There are training protocols to change up your weight and nutrition routine that are effective in getting the fat off.
Intervals are Effective Fat Loss Methods
Interval training means getting your heart rate up to a higher intensity than normal during your workout. It has its roots in team sports where there is a natural variation in intensity during a game. This type of training works for any person, doing any activity. Walkers can walk uphill or up stairs for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then resume level walking. Weight trainers can incorporate aerobic intervals between sets.
Weight Training Using Intervals
It's easy to do intervals in the weight room. For example, in between bench press sets, don't rest on the bench. Perform 10 to 20 push-ups next to the bench, then do your next set of bench press reps. During a leg press routine, get off the machine and do 1 minute of jump rope or jumping jacks then return to the leg press sets. You may need to use a slightly lighter weight during the repetitions but at this point in your training the focus is on losing body fat.
Muscle is Harder to Gain Than Retain
Building up muscle by weight training takes time and proper nutrition, but once your body has the muscle tissue your metabolism adjusts. Your body becomes more efficient at supporting the muscle. As long as you continue your good resistance training and nutrition habits your muscles will stay strong. So go ahead and perform higher intensity aerobic training days, including intervals in your weight routines. The fat will come off.
Nothing Works Better Than Good Nutrition
None of the fat loss will occur if you are eating junk food or strange nutritional supplements. The best way to keep metabolism high and muscles fed is taking in four, five or six small meals daily. These meals should be a high-quality mix of lean protein, complex carbohydrates and unsaturated fats, with a very small amount of saturated fat. Eating whole foods rather than processed and pre-packaged foods will also provide fiber, and increase the body's workload during digestion. This "thermic effect" of digestion is important and can increase your metabolism.
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