It is no surprise that many women are afraid of strength
training. Some of you might thing that strength training
will bulk you up. Others might feel that it does not burn
many calories because of the misconception that only cardio
is good for weight loss. There are many benefits to
strength training and have no fear, you will not bulk up
and look like a body builder. Strength training increases
your muscle mass and your muscle mass helps you to burn
calories even when you are not exercising. So where should
you start when developing a strength training routine
First thing to learn when getting started on a strength
training routine is what a “rep” is and what a
“set” is. You will hear this often throughout
from trainers. A rep is a repetion. It is how you complete
the exercise. Doing one full squat is one rep. A set is a
set of repletion’s. Most of the time when you are
just starting out it is advisable to do two sets of eight
to twelve reps. Once you can do that, you can increase it
to three sets.
Another thing to consider is when to work out. Most
trainers will not recommend you to work out after you eat a
big meal. Chances are you will feel more uncomfortable than
anything else. On the flip side, do not work out when you
haven’t eaten in a while. Working out, and this
includes strength training on an empty stomach puts you at
a risk of getting light headed. The best idea to do is work
out in-between meals or even eat a light protein snack such
as cheese or an egg before you begin your workout.
Make sure you warm up before beginning your strength
program for at least 5-10 minutes. You can do some form of
cardio from walking, marching or even doing jumping jacks
just to warm up your muscles. You do not want to begin
lifting weights without some sort of warm up because you
increase your chance of injury to those muscles. It is also
important to make sure you pick the right weight. If you
have never done a strength training routine, do not reach
right away for the 10lbs weight. You might want to start
off at 2lbs just until you get the hang of it. Try
different weights to find out one is in your fitness range.
A good rule of thumb is if you can’t lift it in good
form at least 8 times, then it is too heavy and you need to
go lower. To find out if your weights are to light, see
if you can easily lift it 12 times or more. If you can,
then it is too light. You want to find a weight that is
just in the middle where you can lift it at least 8 to 12
times with a little bit of a challenge. Another thing to
keep in mind when strength training is that to build muscle
and tone, it might help to use a lighter weight and do more
sets. If you are looking to bulk up use larger weights and
less sets.
Have you ever seen how some weight lifters seem to be
holding their breath with each set? This is incorrect. You
should exhale when you lift the weight and inhale when you
are returning to starting position. This holds true for
adnominal crunches also. Breathe out when you are doing the
crunch and breathe in when you are returning your body to
the starting position. Making sure you have the right form
is crucial also because it not only gives your muscle the
best benefit, it also reduces your injury. This is why it
might be a good idea to strength train with someone for a
while at first so they can correct your form.
Strength training does have to use free weights. You can
still get a good strength work out and build muscle by
using your own body’s resistance. This takes
discipline though and you must keep your movements slow and
controlled because you are essentially creating your own
resistance. If you are sloppy while doing the moves, your
effort will be for nothing. Also make sure you take time
off. While you can do a cardio exercise everyday, strength
training is better to do every other day. You want to give
your muscles time to rest.
Follow these guidelines and you will be reaping the
benefits of looking leaner, burning more calories and
improving your metabolism. By following a strength training
program you can have arms like Madonna or Cameron Diaz in
no time!
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