Health and Fitness;Mind, body and soul with Robyn

BENEFITS of STRENGTH TRAINING

Yes I've blogged about it before. Blah, blah, blah... but while there are numerous benefits to strength training for women including, increasing bone density, fighting depression and holding onto lean muscle mass which is of utmost importance when you are restricting calories to lose weight, THIS to me is one of the most significant reasons of all: And be sure to really read what outlined in BOLD at the end!

Strength training helps you lose weight more easily (or eat more without gaining weight).
Since muscle is active tissue (unlike fat, which is inert), it requires energy to maintain. The more muscle you have, the more you can eat without gaining weight. Strength training can provide up to a 15 percent increase in metabolic rate, which is helpful for weight loss and long-term weight control.

For every additional pound of muscle you gain, your body will burn about 50 more calories each day. A study by Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., from the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts, showed that a woman who strength trains two or three times a week for eight weeks gains 1.75 lbs of muscle and loses 3.5 lbs of fat.

And Johns Hopkins researchers found that while aerobic exercise burns more calories during exercise, your metabolism returns to normal about 30 minutes after you finish your workout. Individuals who perform strength training, however, elevate their metabolism (burning more calories) for two hours after their workout is over!!!!!

Now, as with any calorie restricted plan, you will lose weight but with that will also come a lot of muscle loss (it's just what happen at any age but most epecially after 35) so if you're not doing some form of strength training eventually all your weight loss efforts are going to reach a plateau. What's the common denominator to overcome that plateau?  You got it. So if you're not strength training along with your cardio, what are you WEIGHTING for?

Come on in...with ATTITUDE!