The Foundations of Fitness

Part 2 - The Importance of Resistance Training

By Danny Borowicz

In Part -1 of our series on the foundations of fitness, we disclosed what the foundations are as well as caloric intake and its effects on your results. In this Barticle (short for a web article, not a big fan of the word Blog/weblog 😆) we will be discussing the importance of resistance training as it relates to how it compares to cardio and why it’s more transformative, how it can not only maximize weight loss but make it harder to regain fat, and how it can shape and grow your muscles to give you the body you want!

RESISTANCE TRAINING

Lifting weights, or resistance training, is a key component of your fitness foundation. Whether barbells, dumbbells, or your body weight it is one of the most important things you can do to not only get in shape, but also lose weight and get stronger, it can help stave off osteoporosis, help with arthritis, lower your blood pressure, and do a myriad of other wonderful things.

It is critical for not only fat loss but greatly helps keep it off as muscle mass is gained. Let me break it down for you:

For the rest of your life, think of calories like money and think of fat like your bank account. We all like a fat bank account right? 🤑 If your income matches your expenses, your bank account neither goes up nor down. Now let’s say you buy a nice new car, like a Corvette or something similarly extravagant. However, your income does not go up. What must happen to your bank account for you to keep your new Vet? Must go down right? Your new sports car is an added expense that you currently cannot cover, so your “savings” does. Are you with me? Well, your new sports car is that added muscle you have put on😁 As long as your income does not go up (you eat more) your bank account (fat) must decrease to cover the added expenditure. So resistance training is crucial. If your diet is managed properly, your gains and losses will be reflected nicely. You may be asking, “Well, what about cardio?” I can lose weight that way too, right?

While cardio should be a part of any fitness program, resistance training will yield better, longer-lasting results. Here is what I mean: Cardio will help to strengthen your heart and lungs, which is important, but for weight loss AND muscle gain, cardio cannot and does not compare. This has to do with what I call the “After Burner Effect” or post-exercise burn as well as what that added muscle does to your resting metabolic rate.

One of the biggest differences between doing resistance training versus cardio is how long you continue to burn calories at an expedited rate. You have heard of working smarter, not harder? THIS my friends is an excellent example of this. With cardio, you continue to burn calories at an expedited rate for 30 to 60 minutes. Care to guess how long this is for resistance training?

Up to 72 hours, or 4,320 minutes!!!

Again, it is important to point this out as many “cardio only” advocates talk about how they can burn more calories doing cardio.

"While it is evident that cardiovascular exercise burns more calories than lifting weights, the amount of calories burned after weight training is higher," reports the CTER Eportfolio System website. Metabolism increases after cardiovascular exercise only lasts 30 to 60 minutes,” whereas, as we have just pointed out, post-resistance training metabolic rates increase up to 72 hours! 😮

Here is how it works: Put simply, the after-burner effect is additional energy your body expends after you’ve finished exercising. EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption) helps explain this.

“After a workout, your body uses oxygen and calories to remove lactic acid, repair muscles, and replenish stores of creatine, oxygen, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). It’s during this recovery period that the afterburn effect takes place.”

So, if weight loss is your aim, (⬆I know, it’s subtle 😆) which would you rather do? One form of exercise where after an hour you don’t burn more calories than before the workout or one where you could sit on your butt for THREE DAYS and burn more than the first? I mean, come on, talk about a no-brainer.

So why do so many folks rely on cardio? Well, I know from many of the newer folks I’ve trained over the years it’s simpler and less intimidating than resistance training. I mean, we all know how to run or ride a bike, right? It could also be negative views of “muscle heads”, or just sheer ignorance. The simple fact is that if you want to maximize your time, resistance training is the way to go.

The other factor has to do with how increased muscle mass adds to your RMR/BMR (Resting Metabolic Rate/Basal Metabolic Rate) AND there is another secret many folk just don’t factor in 😮

Muscle burns more calories than fat and added muscle will therefore increase your BMR.

“Building more muscle mass is one thing that can increase a person's metabolic rate. Estimates suggest that every pound of muscle burns roughly six calories per day at rest, Dr. Church says. That's about three times as many calories as a pound of fat, which burns roughly two calories per day.”

“Ok Danny, I can see that, but what is this secret that you are speaking of?” Well, the secret is this: as you add muscle, you become stronger, which in turn leads to having more INTENSE workouts,

WHICH in TURN leads to greater calorie expenditure during and post-workout!

“Gaining muscle through resistance exercise means you can do more. You can work out harder and hike steeper trails,” sports dietitian Marie Spano, M.S., R.D., C.S.C.S., tells SELF. “This will lead to an increase in calories burned. Now, that’s significant.”

Ha HA! Ok, maybe it’s common sense, but what is so uncommon in my experience is how many people never factor this in when contemplating beginning a workout program! It’s like a small snowball at the top of a mountain; get it started rolling downhill and there is no telling how big it will grow! So, food for thought😋

If you are asking “How often should I do Resistance training?”, I’ll share with you what I tell all my clients when they start with me; “You need to be hitting the weights at least three days per week.” The research says that at the very least, training a minimum of two days per week is needed to maximize muscle growth. But is resistance training for everyone? It’s a complex answer, but I’ll try to be succinct…

YES! (Mostly😅)

I have trained men and women of all ages, backgrounds, and circumstances (ok, not all, but a LARGE variety). I’ve trained elite athletes, Special Forces, children, quadriplegics, people with MS, Stroke survivors, Cancer survivors, Pregnant women (before AND during right up to two days before delivery) seniors in their 80s, and so much more.

I addressed some of the benefits before in my Barticle (😂) Sex, Drugs & Rock n Bod with seniors, men, and women, but it’s great for kids too! This is especially relevant as childhood obesity rates in America run at nearly 20%, making the US the leader in childhood obesity Worldwide except for China. The takeaway? Kids should be doing resistance training!

“During childhood, kids improve their body awareness, control, and balance through active play. As early as age 7 or 8, however, strength training can become a valuable part of an overall fitness plan.”

So, of course, there are exceptions for doing resistance training such as children being below the age of 7 for example, but for the most part, ALL can benefit from it. I learned this firsthand working with special populations such as people with MS and stroke survivors, but perhaps the most rewarding was working with a quadriplegic. This wonderful fellow, let's call him Joe, was brought to my place of business in a wheelchair, head listing to the side, unable to move or speak, with his wife and sister who were desperate for help. I told them that I would try my best but that I couldn’t promise anything. Of course, the gym I worked at and my manager at the time were only too happy to take their money, but I told management I wouldn’t have them purchase any sessions unless I truly felt I could help him. My manager was furious, but as I was one of the top trainers in the country, he relented to defer to my judgment. I said a prayer, asking for guidance, and I asked Joe to try to lift his leg while I had my hands on it. While he was completely unable to do so, I did feel a slight twinge. I repeated this in his arms as well with similar results. I took this as a sign and informed his family that we could try. I had them purchase our smallest package (again, with a furious manager) and went to work. Within a week he showed improvement. They purchased more sessions and we continued in earnest! I am so happy to tell you that within a couple of months, Joe was able to keep his head upright, and could do leg extensions, curls, overhead presses, and cable flys! It was nothing short of a miracle, and I was delighted to be of service 😇 While he was never able to fully recover, I can testify that his quality of life was greatly improved within several months. Sure, I have had the honor of training Special Forces personnel, police officers, and even an Olympic athlete, but this fine fellow in the wheelchair was one of my crowning achievements. If one who has suffered so much can overcome and change his entire life in this way, shouldn’t we all be striving to do the same? I believe so.

Lastly, resistance training is the best way to shape your body to how you would prefer it. Want a bigger chest and a broader back? Resistance training can do that, not cardio. Nicer legs? A fuller, rounder butt? Again, resistance training. With resistance training, you are building and shaping the muscles you focus on. Think about that! You have the power to change how you look and feel about yourself on mental, physical & spiritual levels! So if you have certain areas that you wish to develop, resistance training is the key to unlocking the door to fuller potential, or what we professionals call it “Awesome Town” 😂

Resistance training is one of the essential foundations of Fitness. More transformative than cardio, shown to be more effective for weight loss and maintenance, and with the ability to shape your body as you see fit, Resistance Training is the hammer that forges you in the fire of your will! Your Life is an adventure, and your body is the vehicle that drives you through it, so live life to the fullest by making resistance training a part of it. It will not only help give you the body of your dreams, but it will take you to wonderful places you may never have imagined.

— DannyB

(Danny Borowicz is a Master Personal Trainer, Martial Arts Expert, and Life Coach who has been involved in fitness for over three decades, graduated Top of his class with multiple degrees, including Psychology, and has personally helped thousands to achieve their fitness goals. He continues to actively train people worldwide, both virtually and in person, based out of Round Rock Texas)

Stay tuned for Part 3 of the Foundations of Fitness - Diet and Nutrition