Have you stalled in your weight-loss efforts?  Or maybe you’re not trying to lose weight—maybe you just want to stay in shape, but you’ve noticed that you’re no longer getting the results you once did in your workouts.  What should you do?

Strength training has been touted as a great way to make your workouts more effective, and it’s not just hype.  Adding weights to your workout can significantly increase the effectiveness of your workouts, because adding a little muscle to your body makes it run more efficiently.

It all has to do with your Resting Metabolic Rate or RMR.  Your RMR is how much energy (from calories) you need to expend to survive.  You’ll wind up using more energy than what’s allotted in your RMR, because the RMR is for your resting (inactive) metabolic rate.  And let’s face it—we don’t just rest all day long!  Your RMR can vary for multiple reasons; for instance, your age, weight, and height have an effect on your RMR, but what you need to know is this:  Your RMR establishes how quickly you expend calories, and you’ll lose weight when you expend more calories than you ingest.  You’ll maintain weight when you expend the same amount you take in.

So what does strength training have to do with your RMR?  When you gain more muscle mass (even if it’s not the bulky, masculine kind—after all, what girl wants that?), your RMR increases. This means that lifting weights, weight training, and adding muscle mass to your body increases your RMR. Increasing your RMR leads to burning more calories and, thus, more fat.

The best news yet?  It’s easy to incorporate weights into the workout you’re already doing.  If you walk or jog, you can buy walking weights (that weigh anywhere from two to five pounds each) for under $10.  If you’d like a set of dumbbells so you can choose from a variety of weights, you can pick up a set from Tone Fitness.  These neoprene dumbbells are color-coded (so, for example, the 5-pound weights are purple) and you have three weights to choose from—2-pound, 3-pound, and 5.  The cost of the set with a rack costs under $30, and it doesn’t take up much space.  But it’s one of those investments that you’ll use over and over.

So if you’d like to lose a few pounds or just have an easier time maintaining your size, consider adding weights to your workout routine.  Strength training is more than just hype—it works.

Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/metabolism-hacks />