Why You Should Strength Train While in a Calorie Deficit
The primary benefit of strength training while in a calorie deficit is it helps you maintain muscle mass while losing fat.
This is ideal because the goal of most people who are in a calorie deficit is to lose fat without losing muscle.
If you can do this, you’ll look much better than you would if you lost a lot of fat and muscle.
People new to strength training may even be able to build muscle mass while in a calorie deficit.
Another benefit of strength training in a calorie deficit is it can help you lose fat faster.
You will burn extra calories during and after your strength training workout (as a result of a higher post-exercise metabolic rate), which will help you achieve your fat loss goal faster as long as you don’t overeat.
From personal experience, I’ve found shorter, high-intensity exercise such as weightlifting or HIIT doesn’t increase my appetite as much as longer, moderate-intensity exercise such as jogging.
How much strength training should you do?
Many fitness experts recommend strength training at least 2–3 times per week targeting all major muscle groups throughout the week, which is what I aim for.
In addition to strength training, you should keep your protein intake relatively high (at least 1 gram per pound of body weight).
This will go even further in preventing muscle loss and increasing satiety, which is helpful for regulating your calorie intake with the ultimate goal of fat loss.
