For many, the first step into a fitness program to support weight loss is stepping on a treadmill or going out for a jog in the park. You build enough sweat and then maybe finish off with stretching to finish your workout. As time goes by, that stubborn weight is not coming off. We think it’s more cardio, longer runs, more time on the treadmill. We might even change machines from the treadmill to the stair-master or elliptical to to change up the routine. Never have we considered the importance of weight training or resistance training to support weight loss.
Many people (women) fear lifting weights because they think that they will gain muscle and get bulky. You know, there was a time when we thought that the world was flat and that if you sailed toward the edge of the horizon that you would fall off the edge of the earth. As we know now, that is not the truth. The same can be said about resistance training for women. Fortunately, resistance training is being more and more accepted among women for it’s benefits.
Why resistance training?
Because resistance training is one if not the best way to put on muscle in your body. Muscle, is metabolically active. Meaning, that muscle needs energy in the form of calories in order to be sustained in the body. Therefore, the more muscle you have the more potential for burning calories. In turn, you’ll burn more body fat.
If you still have doubts, think of it this way. It’s very difficult for women to build bulky, blocky muscles because women do not have the same amount of muscle building hormones (testosterone, androgens, IGF-1) as men do. However, when you train you have dormant muscle fibers that are reactivated when you perform resistance training. Think of those fibers as being a burning furnace of calories when they are activated.
And for this reason it’s important to perform resistance training to support weight loss. Not to mention that it defines your body such as slim arms and sleek, sexy thighs. There are many benefits but the most important thing to consider to begin.
Josue