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!
