Build Muscle to Lose Fat
As you gain muscle through strengthening exercises, you will lose inches, even if you don’t lose weight. How is that? A pound of muscle and a pound of fat both weigh a pound, but a pound of muscle tissue takes up less space than an equal amount of fat tissue. So when you improve your muscle-to-fat ratio, you start losing clothing sizes even if the scale doesn’t budge.
The stronger you are, the more efficiently you’ll burn fat too. “Muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest,” says Cedric Bryant, PhD, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise. Muscle cells contain more mitochondria – the part of cells that generate energy by turning nutrients and oxygen into fuel for the body – than fat cells do. The more mitochondria you have, the faster your metabolism and the more calories you burn.
Because fat cells are different than muscle cells, you can’t convert fat to muscle, contrary to common belief. When you do strengthening exercises, you tax your muscle tissue, which causes tiny tears in the tissue. When the body repairs those tears, it adds muscle tissue, making you stronger.
Regardless of your strength now, you can become stronger, and stronger muscles mean less-burdened joints. Starting slowly is key. Strength training is done in sets. A set is made up of 12 repetitions, or reps. Near the end of a set, you should be gently straining to do the final reps, and your muscles should feel a bit tired.
Get advice from your doctor or a physical therapist about which exercises would be best for you. Generally, strength-training routines consist of exercises with resistance bands, weighted medicine balls, hand-held weights or machine weights. In addition, you can build muscle tissue by using your own body or water for resistance.
