No matter which Langley gym they are working out at, everyone wants to maximize their calorie burn so they can get the fastest possible results.
We all know that old weight loss saying: exercise more eat less.
But the truth is, if you want to burn massive amounts of calories (even after your workout is done), you need put more priority on lifting heavy weights.
So let’s discuss if it’s better to lift light weight or heavy weights when trying to lose weight.
In the past, I’ve had clients reason that if you are eating less calories and trying to lose weight, you don’t need to lift as heavy so that you recover better.
This is a good theory, but unfortunately this is false. When you work out, you should always go heavy (with perfect form of course).
- Going heavy is challenging yourself.
- Challenging yourself creates change.
- Change equals weight loss results.
To clarify…
You should go the heaviest you can for the designated rep scheme for each exercise. Said another way, this is high intensity. Said another way, this is maximal intensity! Now doesn’t that sound badass?
If the LVFiT workout says 10 reps, it should be the most challenging weight you can do for 10 reps with perfect and controlled form. (And isn’t it nice when you have your very own dumbbell rack?)
Of course there will be situations where you are having an off day or feeling sore. On those days, it is ok not to push it. Listening to your body is just as important, and listening to your body leads to consistency. Consistently working out equals more results.
So now that we know heavy weights burn more calories than light weights, let’s look at The Afterburn Effect or EPOC
EPOC stands for Excess ‘Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption’, and it’s basically a term that shows how many extra calories you burn after your workout. In fact, you can burn Up To 48 hours Post Workout With EPOC.
So if each workout you do is burning calories up to 48 hours post workout, then you are going to be more efficient at improving heart health, endurance, and weight loss.
Long distance running has almost no EPOC. Boxing has high EPOC.
Elliptical Machines have no EPOC. Db lunges have high EPOC.
Light weights have little EPOC. Heavy weights have high EPOC.
Years ago the University of Georgia did a study where they made 14 experienced lifters do 2 workouts a week…
The first week they lifted light. High reps, light weight, like most people do when they are ‘trying to burn fat’
The second week they lifted heavy. Less reps, more weight.
3 hours after each workout, the heavy weight group had an EPOC 300% higher than the light weight group.
So moral of the story is: always lift as heavy as you can with proper form.
After all this you may be thinking:
With that said, what about light weights? When do you use light weights?
The answer to that is the following:
- When you are not having a great day, but know consistency in the gym will get you closer to your results (pssst, it will)
- When you are learning a new exercise
- When you do cardio
But there is no cardio that will burn as many calories with the afterburn effect as weight lifting will.
But you can definitely try when you put on the gloves and light it up when you hit up our Langley fitness studio 😉
The 1-2 punch of LV is definitely going to put you in a state of burning.
Committed to your results,
Josh Saunders, BS, CSCS
LVFiT
BOX | LIFT | HIIT
Langley’s newest gym arriving October 2018.
