Don't Be Afraid of Weights!

If running and running and some more cardio are the cornerstones of your fitness plan and you aren't seeing the results you want, try resistance training.

Ladies!  How many of you avoid lifting weights like the plague?  Well, me for one!  We all think, I’ll bulk up, I want to lean out, I don’t want those Madonna arms (a valid argument), it’s dangerous!  But wait, is this what will really happen if I pump some iron and eat a balanced diet?  Hell, no!  But you know what will happen...?

Yep, it’s true.  I am completely guilty of this.  We as women are programmed by the media and magazines to live and die by a sweat session on the treadmill, elliptical or stairmaster.    We (especially women) are programmed to believe that we must stick to dumbbells less than 10 pounds and perform dozens of reps on end so that we can “tone” our bodies and avoid getting big, “manly” muscles.   

Think you’re getting big from lifting weights? Guess what, that’s the excess fat you trying to lose, not muscle. Women just don’t possess the levels of testosterone needed to develop the freakishly large bodies that the media has you imagining. In fact, women have about 15 to 20 times less testosterone than men do.  And ask any man how hard it is to bulk up?  It’s just not even easy for a guy to do either!  If it's tough for a guy with 15 times the testosterone, how difficult is it for a woman?  Can you say nearly impossible (well, without drowning yourself in supplements)!

Albert Einstein once defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over yet expecting different results. We’ve all heard this about our workout routine and agree, yet we continue to do more and more cardio expecting our bodies to suddenly transform into the lean and athletic physiques we desire.

Now why is lifting weights beneficial?  Here are 6 solid reasons to add iron to your cardio routine. 

1.       YOU WILL LOSE MORE FAT PER SESSION OF LIFTING THAN CARDIO: When Penn State researchers put dieters into three groups—no exercise, aerobic exercise only, or aerobic exercise and weight training—they all lost around 21 pounds, but the lifters shed 6 more pounds of fat than those who didn’t pump iron. Why? The lifters’ loss was almost pure fat; the others lost both fat and muscle.  I’d much rather not lose any muscle.  Just that fat please.

Another research on dieters who don’t lift shows that, on average, 75 percent of their weight loss is from fat, while 25 percent is from muscle. Muscle loss may drop your scale weight, but it doesn’t improve your reflection in the mirror and it makes you more likely to gain back the flab you lost. However, if you weight train as you diet, you’ll protect your hard-earned muscle and burn more fat.

2.        MORE MUSCLE, MORE CALORIE EXPENDITURE: Most everyone considers weightlifting only to add size, but when contrasted head-to-head against cardiovascular exercise, resistance training comes out on top in the battle to burn calories.  The huge advantage to weight training is your body's ability to burn fat during and after exercise.    

Lifting weights will burn more calories than spending the same amount of time on the treadmill. When you go for a jog your metabolism will slow down as soon as you've jumped off the machine, but after you've lifted weights your metabolism will still be on fire long after your session has finished. It means you'll lose weight quicker and with summer just around the corner you might want to look as good as possible in your bikini when you're at the beach.

3.       YOU'LL BE ABLE TO EAT MORE:

OK, so women are a little unlucky when it comes to dieting because they can't eat as much food as men without putting on a lot of body fat.  This is simply because women are smaller and we don't need as many calories to maintain our current size. When you add an extra pound of muscle you can burn up to 50 calories extra per day just by being alive.  And even though I’m saying you can eat more, I don’t mean a second helping of that hot fudge sundae.

As women age, they naturally lose muscle mass. This causes your metabolism to slow, which means you could start building a spare tire by the time you reach your 30s. “When you do weight-bearing exercises, you start revving up your metabolism—and it keeps burning for many hours after your workout,” says Wayne Westcott, PhD, director of fitness research at Quincy College and Prevention advisory board member.

4.       YOU'LL LOOK MORE TONED:

You won't be able to create the toned look by droning on that stairmaster without doing any form of resistance training. You can definitely lose a lot of body fat by going on a diet and doing lots of cardiovascular exercise, but when all is said and done you'll just look like a smaller version of your current self.  The only way you'll get the toned look most women crave is by losing fat, and gaining muscle.  Otherwise, you’ll just look like a string bean.

While cardio is important and will help melt fat, weights sculpt your body, creating curves and definition right where you want it. They also help fight the effects of gravity, making you much less likely to have arm jiggle in your upper arms.

5.       BONE HEALTH:

As you age, you are at risk of losing both bone and muscle mass.   Resistance training is an excellent way to combat loss of bone mass, and it decreases the risk of osteoporosis.   Strength training is one of the 12 best ways to break-proof your bones.  “Lifting weights can help counteract age-related bone loss,” says Ethel Siris, MD, director of the Toni Stabile Center for Osteoporosis at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City. “Strengthening your muscles also improves balance and keeps you as strong as possible which lowers your chances of a fall-related fracture. 

6.       SKINNY JEANS FOR ME?  YES, PLEASE!!:

“One pound of fat takes up much more space than one pound of muscle,” says CrossFit athlete and certified level-1 trainer Cheryl Brost, a 41-year-old mother of two. “So even though muscle weighs more, what do you want all over your body? Something that’s bulky, like body fat, or something that’s lean, and takes up less space, like muscle?”

7.       YOU WILL IMPROVE YOUR MENTAL ALERTNESS, ENERGY LEVELS AND REDUCE STRESS:

Weight lifting stimulates the mind, improves alertness, and provides an energy boost later in the day. University of Virginia scientists discovered that when men and women lifted weights 3 times a week for 6 months, the study participants significantly decreased their blood levels of homoscysteine, a protein that’s linked to the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. 

Weight lifting is one of the best ways to naturally improve your mood. It reduces stress, anxiety, and depression, and it creates a sense of happiness. Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia found that the blood pressure levels of people with the most muscle returned to normal the fastest after a stressful situation, compared to those who had less muscle mass.

So, who’s ready to add some resistance training to their cardio routine without joining a gym?  There are several BeachBody programs which couple cardio and resistance training.  They range from beginner to advanced and I assure you there is no droning on a treadmill, elliptical or stairmaster!  Fill out an application below so we can find the best program for you and more details about my next challenge group!

Success eventually comes from the challenge you dedicate yourself to.  Nothing ever comes without a battle and it’s the woman who fails forward who will be victorious in the end! 

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