As a busy entrepreneur, you don’t have time to invest in workouts that aren’t getting you the best results. You also can’t afford to spend energy and effort shedding pounds, only to gain them all back again the moment you miss a few workouts.
You need something that works consistently to deliver the type of lean body that’s as tough and bad-ass as you are.
You want to work smarter, not harder, so that your workouts are making the most of your time.
The number one thing that you need to make sure that you are including if weight-loss is important to you is consistently doing some type of strength training in your workout regimen.
Why Strength-Training Is Necessary For Your Workout
The reason that strength training is so important and critical for weight-loss, especially long-term weight loss, is a little bit surprising. People often think that cardio is the best way to go to lose weight quickly, and it’s true that cardio does actually burn a few more calories than strength-training does.
‘So,’ you might think, ‘why would I not do the thing that is burning the most calories then?’
Good question! Here’s why.
Cardio burns more calories during a workout. So, say you do a 40-minute jog. You’re going to burn roughly 300–400 calories.
But, here’s the thing. You’re only burning those extra calories when you’re running.
After the run is done, if you want to burn more calories, you would just have to go for another run (which ultimately also has some point of diminished returns, because too much cardio can actually become counter-productive.)
What differentiates strength-training from cardio is that when you build more muscle fibers, your body actually becomes more efficient at burning calories.
Strength training, in other words, spikes your metabolism around the clock. When you have more muscle fibers, your muscles become better fat-burners overall.
That means you’re not only burning extra calories when you’re exercising. You’re actually burning more calories all the time.
Your basal metabolic rate (which means the amount of calories that it takes just to eat, sleep, digest your food, andk eep everything functioning in your system) actually starts utilizing more calories, because your body has become more effective at fat burning.
Investing in short but consistent strength-training exercises will build those super-efficient muscles that makes sure that you are burning more calories 24/7–whether you’re writing your weekly email newsletter, posting on social media, or planning your next product launch.
We want your body to be on your side, working in your favor as you do the things that you do on a daily basis, and strength-training is critical to that.
Types of Strength-Training
Now, strength-training has many different forms. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to go to a gym and lift weights.
Body-supported exercises are a wonderful way to develop muscle strength. Traditional exercises like push-ups, squats, lunges—these are all great forms of strength training that use your own body as resistance against gravity to develop muscle strength.
Power yoga is also a really wonderful way to build some strength. Pilates can be a good choice as well. As long as you’re picking those forms of it that are a little bit more vigorous and really encouraging that muscle development.
Tune In To Your Motivation
One final thought I want to leave you with: weight-loss is not the only reason to exercise.
Don’t hear me say that if you’re just going on walks or doing some type of cardio class that you like that you’re somehow not doing something right.
The type of exercise you choose is all based on YOU and what you’re looking to get out of it.
Those reasons can change from year to year or even month to month. And that’s okay. There are a million wonderful reasons to exercise and workout. So, you’ve got to pick the activity that suits what it is you’re trying to get out of the experience.
If going for a walk is the best form of stress-management for you, and keeps you calm and spiritually grounded, then there’s great value in that. It might just not be as efficient as at burning fat than strength-training is.
I just want to make sure that you have every tool in your tool kit to be able to reach your goals. But, in order to do that, you need to also be able to identify your goals in the first place, which is something I love helping busy entrepreneurs pin down, recognize, and then also be able to change and adapt as seasons change.
In the meantime, if weight-loss IS a goal, then I invite you to check out my free 25-minute Yoga + Cardio Circuit Workout Video. This total-body workout incorporates not only power-yoga strength training, but also bursts of cardio to get a double-hit of fat burning power!
Drop me a line after you’ve tried it, and let me know what you think of it!
