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Have you ever done any weight training at the gym? Maybe a little at home? Not everyone understands the true benefits associated with lifting weights. As women it’s time to embrace the benefits and shed the slim stereotyping. Being slender and being healthy can be very different things.
You might think that weight training just builds big muscles and isn’t really suitable for everyone. It certainly can build big muscles for those who train with those goals in mind but that is not the reason more and more people especially women are “pumping iron”. Increased bone density & muscle mass, better functional strength and increased energy levels to name a few.
I’m trying to lose weight, doesn't weight training just make you bigger?
Building larger muscles like you may visualize at a bodybuilding competition is a super specific, very disciplined type of weight training and it takes time even years to achieve certain results. If you weight train now, you already know the benefits and are likely working on building “lean muscle mass”. Have you ever heard the saying “muscle weighs more than fat”? We all have, well muscle burns more calories than fat so get the weight scale out of your head and start thinking about weight lifting…
I thought cardio exercise was the best way to lose weight?
While cardio does burn more calories than weight training during the course of your workout, the weights will keep burning calories after the workout. The impact and long durations associated with some cardio activities also presents a challenge for many with joint or fatigue issues. Weight training can offer less impact and is often better suited for those dealing pain or fatigue particularly those with cardiac issues.
A body with a higher muscle mass will also have a higher running metabolism meaning the more calories it will burn when idle vs having a body with a lower overall muscle mass. Therefore, weight training by helping to boost your metabolism, burns more calories and helps reduce overall body fat. Guess what?? It helps accelerate weight loss! Our weight and our size can be 2 different things - remember that.
Is there Science?
We know that weight training helps boost your metabolism better than cardio, but it also has been shown to be more effective than cardio at building muscle! See specific metabolic rates of major organs and tissues across adulthood: evaluation by mechanistic model of resting energy expenditure.
Strength training also increases excess post-oxygen consumption (EPOC). This occurs when the body continues to burn excess calories in the hours after you workout. See Effect of acute resistance exercise on postexercise energy expenditure and resting metabolic rate.
With this in mind, maybe it’s worth a trip to the weight room at your local club. Perhaps you should be adding some weights to the home gym as part of your workout, might be the edge you’ve been looking for? To help you get started, here’s some tips to help get started.
Our Top Tips to Start Lifting Weights
Get a trainer – a proper trainer cannot only help layout an appropriate routine, they can also help with any nutritional changes required to compliment your overall goals. Proper technique and nutrition will lay the best foundation for success.
Ask a Friend – walking into a class or the gym can be overwhelming so just like the club, bring a wingman… or woman to help settle those newness nerves while at the same time have some fun.
Start Slowly and Progress – As they say Rome wasn’t built in a day, it takes time and practice to form new and proper habits. Focus on forming good technique and you will know after some time how to progress forward towards your overall goals.
From chasing after kids and running around at work to the other million and a half tasks women perform in a day, we can all appreciate better strength, stamina and improved function. It’s getting into those good habits that can build the bigger foundation of that healthy and ever active lifestyle. At Lifepro, we want you to thrive for years to come.
Author
Joel Gottehrer is the Co-Founder of Lifepro Fitness and has dedicated his life to helping people transform theirs. With over 12 years of experience in the fitness industry as a personal trainer and owner of two personal training studios, Joel has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to helping transform lives. After suffering from physical injuries, Joel and his business partner, Abraham Brach, came together with a common goal to alleviate the pain caused by their injuries.
They continued to find themselves disappointed with the results stemming from various products promising to relieve their pain, and with that – Lifepro Fitness was born. Joel's mission is to have a positive impact on millions of lives with the Lifepro brand. Whether it's finding new and innovative ways to help people recover from injuries or developing products to improve overall wellness, Joel is always looking for ways to push the boundaries. Thanks to his commitment to help people live their lives free of pain, Lifepro has been able to do this for thousands of people since its founding in 2017.
