When you think of weight lifters, more often than not you think of hefty men (or slightly less hefty women!) but is that a fair assumption to make? Why shouldn’t weight training benefit your wellbeing too?
According to fitness trainer Amer Kamra, most of his clients are female and they’re often reluctant to lift weights because they associate it with a ‘manly’ and ‘muscular’ look that doesn’t appeal: ‘The first thought associated with weights by many people is a 250lb bodybuilder, however, what is often forgotten is that it has taken these bodybuilders 10-20 years of hard work and really aspiring to look that way.’
The truth is, you can utilise weight training in many ways and you don’t have to end up looking like the Hulk at the end of it. Compared to doing stationery cardio, weight training can actually boost fat loss, as it increases your resting metabolism. Every pound of muscle you add means that you burn another 35 calories a day, so you reduce your body fat. You also gain strength without gaining size, which helps you to look and feel great, and you reduce your risk of osteoporosis and injury and increase in mental and physical wellness overall. Lifting weights means you can trim down some of your long cardio sessions because the anaerobic weight training sessions will burn off that fat.
So where do you start? Machines are effective and safe for beginners to use as they require less stabiliser muscles to perform an activity. Using a machine will also teach you how to stay in an appropriate position to avoid injury and achieve the optimal results. Do sets at an 8-12 rep range at a moderate pace, and make sure you maintain the proper form, in order to build muscular endurance and lose fat. In order to keep your heart rate up and the calories burning, you should make weight training sessions as intense and fast paced as possible, by incorporating circuit training to work up a sweat. Include bodyweight exercises in your routine, such as push-ups, pull-ups and dips, and have shorter rest periods in between sets where you never rest enough that you have caught your breath completely.
With a healthy balanced diet, you can lose fat and then tone that body for a sexy new you. Make sure that you know what you’re doing to avoid injury or a lack of results, and consult a fitness trainer.
Comments are closed.