8th Rule: Implement Strength Training,

                                     
    
     Written by: Tony Schober,

     It's time to lose weight. What are you going to do for exercise? If you're
like many people, you immediately start thinking about walking,
running, or some other form of cardio. Steady-state cardio is great for
you and your endurance, but it's not the most effective form of exercise
for weight loss - strength training is.

     Let's go ahead and clear up some confusion. Many people separate
strength training from cardio. They assume you have to do both. You
do not. If you perform your strength training with enough intensity, it
can be very "cardiovascular" in nature. Your heart does not know the
difference between running on a treadmill and lifting weights. It only
knows perceived stress. Push yourself hard enough, and your heart
rate can go well above what it would doing long-duration, steady-state
cardio.

     All that being said, don't go and stop doing your steady-state cardio.
Instead, if you're doing only cardio every day, swap out some cardio
days for strength training days. Strength training is the real key to
successful body transformation. It's what's going to rev up your
metabolism, build muscle, and create a highly favorable metabolic
environment for fat loss.

     Many people assume you should be exercising in the fat-burning zone
to burn fat. While you might burn a higher proportion of calories from
fat during exercise by keeping your heart rate down, you do not
necessarily burn more total fat calories. You definitely don't burn more
fat calories the rest of your day when you aren’t exercising.
The physical activity you perform is about creating a favorable
metabolic environment for fat loss so that proper nutrition can help you
drop body fat. Without muscle and a good hormonal profile, you are
fighting an uphill battle to lose fat.

     Strength training boosts testosterone and growth hormone, and
improves insulin sensitivity. These hormones (testosterone, growth
hormone, insulin) are three of the most powerful fat loss and muscle
building hormones that you want on your side. Yes, that goes for
women too!

     You don't need a gym to strength train either. Nor do you have to use
weights (although I highly recommend it). You can always use your
body weight for resistance. Whichever method you choose for strength
training, the key is to make sure you are pushing yourself out of your
comfort zone, with a goal to get stronger from workout to workout.
Whether that means you're lifting more weight, doing more reps, or
decreasing the amount of rest time between sets, the point is that
you're getting stronger, building muscle, and putting your body in a
good position to drop body fat.

     Don't be afraid to strength train. You are not going to bulk up from it.
You bulk up from a bad diet and excess calories. Strength training
does nothing but help you reach your goals. Make sure you're adding
this powerful weapon to your weight loss arsenal.