According to the health experts, people lose 10% of their muscle by the age of 50. This does not only affect your strength and posture —it can also have surprising affect on your weight.
It’s all about your metabolism. Muscle is better metabolically than fat is—it burns more energy naturally. With you having less muscle, your metabolism will be slower, which can lead to unwanted fat gain.
So if you are over 50 and want to lose weight, there is one type of exercise that is most important. And that is lifting weights!
Everyone over 50 should have a strength training exercise routine at least three days each week. Indeed, a 2017 study discovered that people who are over 60 who attempted to lose weight by lowering their calories and strength training shed more fat than those who lowered their calories and just did cardio.
Want tips for your strength training routine to help you get slimmer fast? Here are some top recommendations from top trainers.
1 — Make squats your top exercise
There are many great strength training moves out there. This move might look simple, but it’s a powerhouse for increasing your muscle and lowering your fat. Multiple small studies have revealed that just eight weeks of only bodyweight squats can help lower your weight by up to 7% (in men) while building muscle mass. Plus, squats also help create core strength and improve your brain and bone health.
2 — Combine strength training with cardio
Everyone should do both of these, no matter how old they are, according to the CDC. Aerobic exercise is great for heart health and cutting calories. But the best type of training to get a lean body will be a combo of resistance moves with high-intensity cardio exercise.
3 — Do this first
To really optimize your fat loss, commit the first part of your workout to weight lifting moves, which you then follow with cardio. This will help you get lean fast. Your weight lifting will burn your body’s stored glycogen (also known as energy), then the vigorous cardio will burn stored fat as energy.
Author: Blake Ambrose