Weightlifting movements are all about getting the best results in a specific timeframe eg. training 45 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Albeit minimal in terms of time frame, it’s one in which maximum results can be achieved nonetheless if these lifts are all incorporated into your regular routine.
For me personally my aim is to cause myofibril stress as well as metabolic stress by performing heavy lifts that cause a greater stimulation of my muscles than I induced previously. In doing this, my body will increase its natural testosterone production which in turn facilitates an increase in lean muscle tissue. It will also increase GH (Growth Hormone) levels which accelerates adipose tissue loss. Now let’s take a look at 4 effective weightlifting exercises that help blitz fat whilst building muscle!
1. Squats
Squats are called the king of exercises and there is no real argument there; anybody who has performed squats knows the hard work it involves but also the benefits it produces. In males it increases testosterone production and growth hormone production by placing additional stress on the body all at once by using multiple muscles in order to perform the movement.
In turn this will allow the body to use more calories in a short space of time increasing metabolic stress so that you burn calories at an accelerated rate for hours after exercise has actually been concluded. Squats mainly involve the quad, hamstring and gluteus muscles as well as the upper core of the body to keep the body upright throughout the movement.
2. Deadlift
The Deadlift is the king of upper body movements. It mainly involves the back but also involves the legs and arms as it is a partial squat at the bottom phase of the repetition. Lower back (lumbar) extension causes it to work the back as the gripping and pulling of the bar also involves the forearms and biceps.
The deadlift does indeed involve more muscles to perform the movement than the squat does so it could be argued that this exercise causes more metabolic stress and after burn post exercise which means it could potentially burn more calories after a workout than squats do.
3. Clean and Press
The clean and press involves explosive strength. This exercise targets the front deltoids, it also works the trapezius, quadriceps, hamstrings, buttocks and triceps.
This exercise is a compound exercise like the rest in this list as it involves more than one muscle to perform the lift so it will have a greater effect on calorie burning post workout as well as increased testosterone and GH levels.
4. Bench Press
The bench press is the least effective in terms of this list as it involves the least in number and smallest muscles to perform the exercise.
The main protagonists are the pectoralis, triceps and anterior deltoid muscles. Another muscle involved that few really mention for this exercise is the latissimus dorsi (back). These muscles actually lengthen on the negative part of the bench press when the bar comes down to the chest which then also help push the bar up on the concentric part of the movement.
So to summarise, if you perform all these exercises correctly using a weight that allows you to get around 8-10 repetitions with strict form, you’ll definitely reap benefits that you’ve never had before if you’ve never trained these 4 core exercises.
Increased testosterone levels induced by training the above will help you add lean muscle mass to your frame. Although the increase in GH levels will also keep you as lean as possible, diet also has an important role to play. We’ll look at this in more detail soon. Stay tuned!
