If you want to reap the full benefits of an exercise routine for weight loss, resistance training is something you’ll want to have on your radar. It also has many other benefits that can improve your overall health and well-being.

What Is Resistance Training?

What comes to mind when you think of resistance training? Big muscles, heavy weights and gym equipment? While those can all be true, there’s much more to it.

Resistance training means moving one or more body parts against some form of resistance. The simplest form of resistance training is bodyweight training, where you move your limb, torso or trunk against the weight of your body. A push-up is an excellent example of bodyweight resistance training.

Other ways to add resistance include dumbbells, free weights, resistance bands, kettlebells and machines.

Why Resistance Training?

Resistance training has numerous health benefits you don’t want to miss out on. The obvious one is that it improves muscle strength, which is essential for your ability to perform day-to-day tasks easily. It also enhances muscle flexibility. The benefits of increased muscle strength and flexibility in your life could be as simple as feeling stronger when you climb stairs or as impactful as having more energy to play with your children.

But the benefits of resistance training go beyond your muscles. Resistance training increases bone mineral density, which is especially important in women as they age, and improves quality of life in older adults. It also decreases depressive symptoms and improves anxiety. Recent research suggests that it can even create neuroplastic changes in your central nervous system that enhance cognitive functioning.

Does Resistance Training Help You Lose Weight?

Yes! Regular resistance training can increase your resting metabolic rate, meaning the number of calories you burn while at rest. That means that your body burns more energy while you’re doing nothing.

Interestingly, aerobic exercise doesn’t have these same benefits. The physiology of this likely comes down to the fact that resistance training can increase muscle size and strength, which then requires more energy to maintain at rest.

Therefore, resistance training complements your aerobic exercise, such as walking, in terms of weight loss benefits.

How Do You Start a Resistance Training Program?

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a gym membership or a personal trainer to start resistance training. You also don’t need to spend every day working out — you’ll be able to reap the benefits from training only two days per week.

Start With an Achievable Plan

Start simple and work your way up slowly to avoid getting overly sore, tired, and demotivated from going all-in on your first session.

Bodyweight training is the most basic form of resistance training, and it can be done anywhere, with no equipment. You could start your resistance training program by committing to doing two sets of 10 full squats and two sets of 10 push-ups with your knees on the ground (yes, that’s a resistance training routine!).

Get Ready to Train

Resistance training can be equipment-heavy, but it doesn’t have to be. All you need is a comfortable pair of shoes (you can even do many bodyweight exercises barefoot!), breathable clothing that allows you to move freely, and a bit of space.

If you have any medical conditions, check in with your doctor to let them know you plan to implement a resistance training program.

Warm Up

Cold muscles are more prone to injury, so a good warm-up is crucial for resistance training. For most people, 5-10 minutes of aerobic activity is sufficient to warm up the muscles, but it’s vital to listen to your body – some days, you may feel you need a longer warm-up. Warm-up ideas include brisk walking or jump roping.

Make a Plan for Your Routine

Your workout will be more effective if you have a plan that allows you to target specific muscles. If you need inspiration, the internet is full of free bodyweight workout plans that you can try out. Mix and match different exercises to create a workout that feels good for you. As a general rule, aim for 1-3 sets of 8-12 reps of each exercise.

When it comes to how much weight you should use, you’re looking for a balance between challenge and maintaining good technique. On your final repetition of the set, it should feel difficult to do another one. If you struggle to do more halfway through your set, your weight is too heavy. If you could keep doing more reps at the end of your set, your weight is too light.

Pay Attention to Your Technique and Breathing

Breathing and technique greatly influence how much you get out of your resistance training program. Good technique reduces your risk of injury and increases the activation you get in the desired muscles. Breathing keeps oxygen circulating throughout your body, which is necessary to perform sustained exercise. 

Here are some tips on how to breathe during your workouts:

• Inhale on relaxation and exhale on exertion. Here’s an example: In a push-up, inhale as you bend your elbows to bring your chest towards the floor, and exhale as you straighten your elbows again.
• Breathe into your belly. Many people tend to breathe into the chest, but you should actually feel the belly expanding outwards.
• Try to inhale and exhale through the nose. Nasal breathing improves your overall strength and recovery during resistance training.

If you ever feel pain during an exercise, stop. The old saying “no pain, no gain” is not what we’re going for here!

Challenge Yourself

As you build more strength and confidence with resistance training, you’ll need to continue challenging yourself so you don’t hit a weight loss plateau. Resistance bands are probably the lowest cost but highest impact investment you can make at the beginning of your resistance training routine. They are lightweight, easily portable, highly versatile, and can ramp up your workout intensity. Other good options include holding weights while doing bodyweight exercises like squats.

You may also enjoy gyms or classes for the motivation of training with other people. Or maybe you put together a group of friends to train together in the park once a week. The options are endless for different and enjoyable ways to add resistance training to your schedule.

Be Mindful

Many people are constantly looking for ways to multitask and increase productivity. While this can be helpful in certain situations, when it comes to exercise, it pays off to be present during your workout.

Exercise causes a dopamine release, the ultimate feel-good chemical. However, if you layer too many dopamine-inducing things on top of your workout, you get less dopamine. So, by listening to a podcast or your favourite music during your workouts all the time, you’re dulling what dopamine can do for you.

That doesn’t mean you can’t ever listen to music, a podcast, or watch a show while working out, but it’s something to keep in mind. More often than not, aim to focus entirely on your workout. You’ll notice faster progress and reap the full benefits of that exercise-induced dopamine hit.

How Much Resistance Training Should I Do to Lose Weight?

As a general rule, aim to do resistance training that targets all the major muscle groups at least two days per week. There is no specific time recommendation for resistance training, but you can usually do effective workouts in 20 to 30 minutes.

If you’re adding resistance training to your walking program, you can add it to your schedule on days you aren’t already walking, or you can do your training immediately after a brisk walk when you are already nice and warmed up.

As always, the most critical piece of the puzzle is consistency.

Takeaway

Resistance training can help you lose weight and gives you several other beneficial health outcomes. Aim to do resistance training at least twice per week, focusing on breathing and good technique. Find workouts and activities you enjoy and have fun with them!