Can weight training reduce belly fat?

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While weight training usually doesn't burn as many calories as Cardio, weight training has other important benefits such as building muscle, burning more fat, and improving metabolism over time. So does weight training reduce belly fat?

1. Belly fat classification

Belly fat is also quite clearly classified, including subcutaneous fat (located just below the skin) and the second type of fat is visceral fat in the abdominal cavity, this fat layer helps protect internal organs in the body. People. However, having too much of any type of belly fat is harmful and poses serious health risks.
The good news is that both types of belly fat respond positively to weight loss plans that follow the principle: the body uses calories more calories taken in. Increasing physical activity helps you burn more calories and follow a healthy diet to limit calorie intake, thereby helping the body burn off accumulated excess fat, effectively reducing belly fat. .
MORE: Effective belly fat loss diet

2. Does weight training reduce belly fat?

The general rule of thumb is that all physical activity will help the body burn more calories, achieve a calorie deficit than you take in, thereby reducing fat throughout the body - including the abdomen. However, the fact that many people do weightlifting to reduce belly fat is the main purpose, especially weight training to reduce belly fat for women. So does weight training reduce belly fat?
In a study published in the December 2014 issue of Obesity, researchers followed a group of 10,500 healthy men over a 12-year period to determine if weight training or aerobic activities worked. Which exercise is more effective to reduce waist circumference? The data showed that weight training had the strongest association with waist circumference reduction, while aerobic activity was strongly associated with overall body weight loss. However, the same researchers produced a systematic review in September 2011 published in the journal Obesity, which found that aerobic activities are more effective than weight training in reduction of visceral fat.
For women, a University of Alabama study found that women who weightlifted lose more belly fat (even deep belly fat) than those who only did cardio. Not only does this help exercisers lose weight and get leaner, but it also lowers their risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome and some cancers.
Weight training may have a reputation of making a woman's muscles "big", but that's not the case. The more weight comes from muscle (instead of fat), the smaller the person will be. In fact, body weight usually increases when training with weights, but the size of the clothes that the practitioner wears will decrease by 1 or 2 sizes.
Plus, it's really hard for women to get the same huge body as men when doing weightlifting. This is explained by the fact that women's bodies only produce about 5-10% of the amount of testosterone compared to men, thereby limiting the muscle-building potential of women compared to men.
SEE ALSO: Eat enough nutrition but lose belly fat

3. Other benefits of weight training

3.1. Weight training helps burn body fat

Weight training helps build muscle mass and helps the body burn fat throughout the day. Burning extra calories after a workout and building muscle helps weightlifters get the body they want. In a recent study of overweight or obese adults (age 60 and older), a combination of a low-calorie diet and exercise resulted in more fat loss than a combination of a low-calorie and low-calorie diet alone. walk (2017 study published in the journal Obesity).
Weight training is better at helping people lose fat than cardio, as cardio burns both fat and muscle, while lifting weights only burns fat.

3.2. Heavy weight training helps build muscle

Women who like toned, moderate muscles but still see them clearly need to do exercises with heavier weights, but they can't get big muscles like men due to the high level of low testosterone.

3.3. Burn more calories at rest

In fact, you will burn more calories in an hour-long cardio class than you would with an hour of weightlifting. However, another study published in The International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Metabolism found that after a 100-minute weightlifting session, rates A young woman's basal metabolic rate increases by 4.2% and lasts for 16 hours post-workout, helping to burn about 60 extra calories even at rest.
Muscle mass will largely determine a practitioner's resting metabolic rate, the more muscle you have, the more energy your body will spend to metabolize, everything you do from brushing your teeth to walking sleeping, surfing Instagram... will all burn more calories.

3.4. Weight training strengthens bones

Lifting weights not only trains muscles, weight training reduces belly fat, but also helps train bones. When the weightlifter performs the movement, the muscles pull on the bone, from which the cells in the bone react by creating new bone cells, over time your bones become stronger and denser. Studies have shown that lifting heavier weights over time not only helps maintain bone mass, but can even build new bone, especially in women at high risk for osteoporosis after menopause. (Yoga also has some bone-strengthening benefits.)

3.5. Increase strength

Light weight lifting is great for building muscle endurance, but if you want to increase your strength, increasing weight is essential. Incorporate compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and rows into your heavy weights and you'll be amazed at how quickly you build strength.

3.6. Weight training is good for the heart

Cardio exercise isn't the only exercise good for the heart. In fact, in addition to weight training to reduce belly fat, endurance training through weightlifting exercises can also enhance a person's cardiovascular health. In an Appalachian University study, people who took in 45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise reduced their blood pressure by 20%, which is even better than most blood pressure medications.
Weight training not only works to reduce belly fat but also brings a lot of health benefits, preventing many diseases. Therefore, you can choose exercises and movements that are suitable for your health, and combine with a healthy diet to bring about the highest efficiency in reducing belly fat.

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References: healthline.com, shape.com, livestrong.com