For many of us who grew up in the days of Jazzercise, weight training was only something the big, beefy guys did in the free-weight section of the gym. It was scary to even walk past that area.
Thankfully it is 2017 and study after study has proven the many benefits of weightlifting for men AND women. Yay for modern science!
The name of the weight loss game is burn fat. Want to get a lean, healthy body? Burn fat. Build muscle. Strength training burns more fat and calories than cardio. Now, I am not here to bash cardio. If cardio exercise gives you peace, do cardio. By all means, do the thing that makes you happy. However, on your days off, lift weights. 🙂
Just a few short minutes after finishing your aerobic (cardio) workout, your body ends the fat burning cycle. However, and this is the magic of weight training, for hours and up to days after finishing a heavy lifting session, your body is still burning calories! 5 points for weights!
Now, women,let’s face it. We don’t want to look like a man. We want feminine muscle tone, yes. But most of us don’t want biceps the size of our thighs! (I just got a visual and it was pretty funny!) I am here to dispel the decades old myth- Lifting weights makes women bulky. In fact, it is actually very rare for women to get “bulky” from lifting weights. Most women have too much estrogen to get BIG. Putting on large amounts of muscle mass, especially for women, takes a lot of very specific focus with bulking up as the main goal.
A properly executed strength routine can also do the following:
- Lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- Stabilize blood sugar
- Increase bone density, strength, endurance, speed and flexibility
- Reduce the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer
- Increase muscle tone and a more youthful appearance (who doesn’t want that!)
To keep your strength training program effective and safe, be sure to focus on solid form executing each movement in the full range of motion. Safety is of utmost importance as an injury can suddenly put the brakes on your progress.
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Want to get started with a weight training program?
We are here to help keep you safe and transform your body.
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