Strength

Strength Training increases our Metabolism and Reduces Body Fat Research studies have shown that if we increase our lean muscle mass by 1.4kg we also increase our resting metabolism by 7% and our daily calorie requirements by 15%. At rest, one kilogram of muscle requires 77 calories per day for tis sue maintenance, and during exercise this figure increases dramatically. If we replace lost muscle through a sensible strength training program we will use more calories all day long and therefore reduce the likelihood of fat accumulation. Want proof? In a 1994 study, strength training produced 1.8kg of fat loss after three months of training, even though the subjects were eating 15% more calories each day. That is, a basic strength program resulted in 1.4kg more muscle, 1.8kg less fat, and 370 more calories per day food intake!

This was a good reminder for me - so I've added in a few more weights sessions to my kickboxing...Hoping to make the January Challenge ny February Challenge, too.