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If you're looking to lose weight and/or put on muscle, strength training should become a instrumental part of your workout regiment. Weightlifting is one of the most effective ways to transform and shape your body [3] as excess fat turns into lean muscle. Instead of spending countless hours doing cardio, day in and day out, NASM certified personal trainer Marci Nevin, shared six simple tips you should consider in order to lose body fat and gain muscle.
First, you should prioritize strength training over cardio as lifting weights helps to build muscle and is "the most effective way to change the shape of your body," says Nevin. Instead of using movements that target "problem areas" Nevin says to do compound movements like squats, deadlifts, presses and pulls [5] working multiple muscle groups at once. When it comes to sets and reps Nevin explains that you'll build muscle best by working with a variety of rep ranges. Nevin suggests following the three to five rep range for pure strength and maintain muscle, and anywhere between six and 20 reps to build muscle.
To save time in the gym and burn more calories structure your workouts to incorporate supersets [6](doing two opposing exercises with little rest in between). Her next tip is the easiest of all: try to be more active throughout the day. A simple walk on your lunch break [7] or taking the stairs over the lift are a few ways to move more throughout the day and burn calories. Finally, she suggests using cardio sparingly [8] as it won't burn as many calories as strength training.