Women are always faced with the same conundrum: how to lose
weight and lean out without bulking up. For years weight training has been associated
with large, masculine muscles (my shoulder for example :P) which is why, even today, you walk into a gym
and find the cardio equipment packed with females thinking they’re torching calories.
Both cardio and weight training have positive effects on the body, however,
when considering the most effective exercise to burn fat and change the body a
properly designed weight training program wins, hands down, no argument!
Weight Training: Health
Benefits
While a pure cardio activity – think running, cycling, hill
walking, whatever – will burn about 120 calories more in an hour generally than
weights, but lifting weights spikes your metabolic rate for hours after a
workout, google EPOC if you haven’t read my HIIT article. This means even after
you complete the workout your body is still burning extra energy – about 25%
more, an easy way to check this would be to check your heart rate 90 minutes
after your workout, s it elevated above resting? Yes? Happy days! This means that even though you burn more during
the hour on the treadmill, lifting weights burns about the same amount of calories
overtime plus many other benefits, think hormones think joint stabilization
think having an actual shape attached to your bones! While calorie burn is important for fat loss,
most women work out to see results. See a change in the body, mood, and overall
health.
Many studies have been conducted testing how the body
responds to a variety of exercise. Time and time again successfully adding
weight training to a fitness routine builds more lean muscle (booty anyone?)
and burns more fat. According to a study conducted by Ball State University,
the average woman who strength trains two to three times a week, for eight
weeks, gains 1.75 pounds of lean muscle and loses 3.5 pounds of fat. For those
wanting to see a change in the mirror this is fantastic news! Furthermore, the
more muscle you have the more calories you burn, even when you’re not working
out! For each additional pound of muscle you have, you burn 40 extra calories,
meaning if you gain 3 pounds of muscle you are burning 120 more calories per
day and that could be the difference between your body shape going wobbly (literally)
or staying lean and healthy.
Moving on, stress and depression is something that affects
many people with rates rising yearly. Professional help is always recommended,
but for the general population, regular exercise has been linked to improved
mood. A Harvard study found that strength training reduced clinical depression
symptoms, even more so than traditional counseling services. To bring this home
look at me when I’m training, yes I look happy :D no don’t come chat to me!. Additionally,
women who strength train report feeling more confident and capable as a result
of their training program.
When it comes to creating a healthy lifestyle regular
exercise is essential. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans for example recommends
300 minutes of moderate- and vigorous-activity weekly for substantial health
benefits and disease prevention. Adding exercise to your routine reduces your
risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and
certain mental health issues.
Osteoporosis is of particular concern for women and is often
referred to as the “silent disease,” with few symptoms to indicate you have it.
The great news is that this disease can be prevented. With a calcium-rich diet
(at least 1,000 milligrams per day) and exercise women can reduce their risk
substantially. Keep in mind it’s not just any type of exercise, to improve bone
density you must include weight-bearing exercises, squats anyone?
The overall health benefits of an effectively designed
strength training program are obvious. The positive impact incorporating this
type of activity into your regular routine will not only provide results now
but those benefits will prove even greater down the road with an improved
quality of life.
Weight Training: Program
Design
Many may be envisioning their next trip to the gym tethered
to the weight rack, cranking out traditional bicep curls but this, too, is an
ineffective use of your limited gym time. So what is the answer? A moderate- to
high-intensity weight training program designed to target all muscle groups
(over a period of time) while incorporating aerobic exercises.
You may be familiar with circuit training and HIIT (High
Intensity Interval Training) which combines intense bouts of cardio – ie: a 1
minute sprint, burpees, pullups, plyo pressups – be sick and repeat, well you
should be familiar if you’re a client or you've read my blogs! This type of
training had proven to be far superior to continuous endurance training from a
cardiovascular, metabolic, and muscle function perspective. Participants who
regularly did circuit or HIIT programs saw greater improvements in these areas,
which also provided longer term results in body shape and performance.
If you are just starting a fitness program or consider
yourself a fitness enthusiast, it is wise to work with a fitness professional
to create a safe and effective program. To begin, it is most important to
consider your goals. Most women want to create lean muscle without the bulk,
potentially targeting certain areas of the body. Consider the duration, intensity, and
frequency when designing a routine and knowing how it will fit into your week.
Each program should include high-effort activity, active rest, and recovery.
When considering active rest and recovery phases providing movement which
incorporates several muscle groups is one way to keep the heart rate high while
remaining efficient with your time. Many
studies around interval training use a 1:1 ratio – for example, 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off - but changing up
the intervals not only challenges the
body but keep you interested over the long term.
Regardless of your fitness level, it is important to ensure you
fully recover between sessions do to the high-intensity nature of the workout.
In other words don’t do HIIT 6 days a week unless you’re a professional athlete
with a plan in place. This may mean that you do not use this type of training
every session, alternating between a more traditional routine and more cardio.
However, research says three times per week may produce the best results and
limit injury. As with all training programs, form comes before all and ensuring
you are safe may mean easing into a high-intensity program. If you have been inactive
prior to beginning a programme, consider incorporating elements of
high-intensity sessions versus creating an entire session from them. For
example, mixing in 15 minutes of interval work within an hour session and slowly
increasing as you improve.
Working with a personal trainer like myself will ensure you are
meeting your goals, completing exercises with proper form, and pushing yourself
to see results is the best option. With a woman’s health and fitness in mind, a
fitness program is not complete without regular weight training. For more
information, programmes or PT visit brodiept.com and drop me a message.
Thanks
Brodie
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