Resistance Training Part 1 In my opinion resistance training is the way forward. By this I mean it will help you with anything you are trying to achieve. Increase fitness, burn fat, tone up, build muscle or increase endurance, it will do it all. Resistance training, (also known as strength or weight training), can sometimes involve the use of equipment such as free weights or machines, but you can get a great workout just using your own body as resistance. Almost everyone reading this article would like to be a little stronger or burn a little fat from those flabby areas. I see many people pounding the treadmill for hours every day. Resistance training will not only help with this, it has many other benefits : * Increased bone density which reduces the risk of Osteoporosis * Reduction in the risk of injury. * Increased strength of tendons and ligaments, (making your joints stronger). * Reduce body fat, increase in lean muscle tissue, making your body look better. * It enhances quality of life as it enables us to better perform daily activities involving lifting, pushing and pulling. * Strength training can increase resting metabolism, (calorie burning), so if you are trying to lose fat you can do so more easily. * As with all types of exercise, you may feel improvements in your self-esteem and confidence. But if I lift weights will I get massive muscles?
No. I can promise you it is very difficult for a woman to produce large muscles due to high levels of the female hormone oestrogen and low levels of the male hormone testosterone. So unless you are on steroids you have no chance of bulking up. Many men try for years to get the muscular look, so you doing a few bicep curls will do you no harm. Will I put on weight?
As fat is `sponge like' whereas muscle is dense and compact, a smaller amount of muscle can weigh more than a similar amount of fatty tissue. So by losing fat and gaining muscle, your body will lose inches but the result on the scales may not change. Who cares? Your body fat has dropped. Your dress size has dropped. The best way to monitor your progress is not by weighing yourself, but checking your body fat percentage and measurements.
Next week I will show you a few simple exercises you can do at home or in the gym using free weights. If you do not have any weights a large can of any brand beans will do fine!
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