For most women, strength training is just an afterthought. However, lifting weights can burn just as much, if not more, fat than cardio. It is also very important if you want sculpted your body by toning up certain areas like the arms and legs.
Strength training is also crucial to weight control, because when you have [...]

For most women, strength training is just an afterthought. However, lifting weights can burn just as much, if not more, fat than cardio. It is also very important if you want sculpted your body by toning up certain areas like the arms and legs.

Strength training is also crucial to weight control, because when you have more muscle mass you consequently increase your metabolism. Muscle is active tissue that consumes calories while stored fat uses very little energy. If you increase your muscle mass, this will effectively increase the number of calories burned, even when the body is at rest. This makes lifting weights probably the best type of exercise for weight loss.

Many women are concerned about becoming to big through lifting weights but it is important to know that strength training is different from bodybuilding. Building strength and building muscle are two distinct goals. As a woman you are aiming to increase lean muscle mass and strength, not build large bulky muscles. With the help of strength training, you will not only burn fat, but also add valuable lean muscles to your body.

Strength training is not running on a treadmill, riding a stationary bike, or using an elliptical machine. Although those types of aerobic machines use “resistance” to increase your workout intensity, it’s not the same as strength training.

Weight training is usually done in the gym and can take very little time if done correctly. Your workout can take as little as three minutes, three times a week, working two muscle groups each day, for roughly one and a half minutes. This makes strength training one growing and most effective form of exercise among busy women.

Weight training is primarily an anaerobic activity, although some proponents have adapted it to provide the benefits of aerobic exercise through circuit training. It is becoming one of the more popular exercise styles. Not only can you burn calories and lose weight, you can sculpt those bags and sags into a lean machine. It is important to keeping the body strong even as we age. As the body gets older it loses much of its strength, especially if muscles are allowed to atrophy through lack of use.

Besides fat loss, it also assists in several other benefits. During strength training, the muscles and bones become strong when weights are used against the force of gravity. It also reduces the chance of injury from the activities of daily life.

For all you pregnant mums, weight training is beneficial for when being pregnant, as it provides you with the strength you need to compensate for posture adjustments and weight gain that occurs with pregnancy. It is safe and beneficial for most pregnant women to continue or even start strength training during pregnancy, as long as you follow the correct guidelines. Weight resistance is quickly and easily modified through the use of an incremental weight system.

Free weights usually work a group of muscles at the same time. Machines are often designed to help you isolate and work on a specific muscle. Free weights, weight training machines, rubber tubing or your own bodyweight will all enhance muscular strength and endurance with as little as 20 minutes to one half hour a day of training. All major muscle groups need to be worked to avoid muscular and postural imbalances. While many people prefer local gyms and exercise facilities, the location of your strength training is up to you.

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