Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine have conducted a study that proves what people like Joe Weider, Cory Everson, Bill Phillips and Monica Brant have been saying for decades. “Weight training may be as important to losing weight as aerobic exercise.”
You don’t say?
There are two kinds of muscle that we all have: slow twitch (type I) and fast twitch (type II). Aerobic training increases slow twitch while weight training increases fast twitch. Mice used in the study were overfed to become obese, insulin resistant (pre-diabetic) and develop fatty acid deposits in their liver. When a gene was activated in them that led to growth of fast twitch (type II) muscle fibers, the result was an overall reduction in body mass and the mice became metabolically normal.
According to the researchers, fast twitch (type II) muscle isn’t just for picking up heavy objects. “It is also important in controlling whole body metabolism.”
What does this mean for human beings trying to lose weight?
It means that while aerobic activity is good, a combination of aerobic and weight bearing exercise is even better. The muscle that you build with weight training is vital to maintaining a healthy metabolism and burning enough calories to be able to eat and still lose weight.
I should add here, for those women who are afraid of picking up weights in fear that they’ll suddenly look like Arnold Schwarzenegger, it ain’t gonna happen. Muscle growth is dependent upon the amount of testosterone in a person’s body. Men have lots of it while women have a very small amount. Men can start weight training and buff up in no time, but it takes much longer for women. Even women who have been weight training for years will never build the kind of physique that looks manly. Women who weight train look trim and fit but never bulky. Unless you take steroids, you will never get the square jaw, deep voice and burly muscles that men get.
So stop being afraid. Go get a can of beans and start doing some curls!
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