0
Don’t be Afraid to Lift Weights……. For too long, women have been slaves to every cardio machine on the gym floor, spending hours on them believing that they are shedding the pounds by the minute. Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but¬ that is not what is happening. When it comes to health and fitness, we are all driven by results so in order for you to be able to achieve your desired results I want to share with you what I have learned through my own experiences. My goal is that by sharing my insights, you will be able to change your approach to both exercise and nutrition, and achieve awesome results. There is an ever-growing realisation that weight training is the most effective way for women to achieve a healthy, desirable, and sexy physique. It can be daunting to approach the weights section of a gym (“the testosterone zone”) but there is really nothing to be scared of. The reality is that there are more and more women in the weights section pumping iron. So if you want to transform your physique in the smartest, most effective, and rewarding way, I urge you to take the time to read this post. What You Need to Know….
-
It is not all about cardio when it comes to fat loss. Doing too much cardio can actually have a negative impact on your metabolism and therefore hinder your fat loss goals. I am not saying there is no place for some cardio as part of an effective training programme, but you most definitely need to combine it some weight training if you want to see the fat start to melt and the muscle start to grow.
-
Ladies, you will NOT get bulky from weight training. When we weight train, we develop lean muscle and lose body fat. This lean muscle takes up a lot less space in your body than fat does, so you will actually look smaller as a result of weight training (provided that you are following an appropriate nutrition plan – more on that later). Also, the more lean muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be, meaning that your body becomes better at burning fat. So forget about looking bulky – you will look lean and feel strong.
-
You will need some expert help and advice before you begin lifting any weights – do NOT start weight training without being taught how to weight train. It is essential that you learn how to move properly and that you know the right technique for every exercise. It’s all about a gradual approach – taking the time to learn the basics of movement and technique will be invaluable to you once you start adding weights to your exercises.
-
When you start weight training, you will need to take a look at your nutrition. As the saying goes “you can’t out-train a bad diet”. If you don’t eat the right quantities of the right foods, you won’t develop lean muscle and you may actually slow down your metabolism, making fat loss more difficult. You will need to get advice and guidance with your nutrition so as to ensure you have the best plan to suit your goals, but all good nutritional plans will have an adequate mix of protein, good fats, and carbohydrates. Imagine your body as an engine and food as fuel – the engine simply won’t work without the right fuel. Most personal trainers will be able to give you guidance and advice on your nutrition.
-
You will need to shift your focus from the weighing scales and instead start tracking your progress in a far more meaningful way. When tracking body composition changes, you need to monitor bodyfat measurements (most good personal trainers can measure your bodyfat levels). You can drop a lot of bodyfat without seeing any shift in numbers on the weighing scales – the reason being that as you weight train you gain lean muscle and lose bodyfat simultaneously, so your overall body weight on the scales may change very little. BUT, 5 pounds of muscle takes up a lot less space in your body than 5 pounds of fat – that is why your bodyfat measurement figures drop faster than your overall body weight, and why your clothes feel loser. So I strongly urge you to forget about the weighing scales and focus on the numbers that matter.