How Fat Loss Works After Resistance Training

Resistance training is often associated with building strength and muscle, but it also plays a significant role in fat loss. When you lift weights or perform high-intensity exercises, your muscles rely on glycogen—a stored form of glucose—for quick energy. Here’s a look at how this process supports fat loss and recovery:

Using Glycogen During Your Workout

During resistance training, especially in intense sets, your muscles rapidly burn through glycogen to meet energy demands. Glycogen provides the fuel your muscles need to contract and perform exercises. Because this type of training puts high demands on your energy stores, glycogen levels are significantly reduced by the end of your workout.

Refilling Glycogen After Training

Once the workout is over, your body’s priority shifts to refilling glycogen in the muscles. This process, called glycogenesis, involves converting glucose from the carbohydrates in your diet into stored glycogen. If you’re in a calorie deficit and don’t have enough carbs available, the body will seek alternative energy sources to refuel glycogen and maintain normal functions.

Tapping Into Fat Reserves

When glycogen is low and you’re in a calorie deficit, the body starts breaking down stored fat for energy. Fat stored in adipose tissue is converted into free fatty acids, which are then transported to the liver and muscles. Here, these fatty acids go through a process called beta-oxidation, where they’re turned into usable energy. This is how fat is mobilised and “liberated” to fuel recovery and maintain energy when glycogen levels are low and dietary carbs are limited.

Balancing Glycogen and Fat Use

In a calorie deficit, your body prioritises muscle recovery by restoring glycogen levels, while also leaning on fat stores to support overall energy needs. This allows carbs to be directed toward muscle glycogen replenishment, while fat acts as a backup fuel source. Using fat for energy in this way helps your body sustain recovery and prepares you for your next workout.

The Big Picture of Fat Loss

Consistently challenging your body with resistance training, combined with a calorie deficit, creates a favourable environment for fat loss. Over time, as your body continues to draw on fat stores to meet energy demands during recovery, you gradually reduce body fat percentage.