Just because you're not vying for 20-inch biceps or thunderously strong thighs like the muscle heads in the gym doesn't mean you should shun the weight room.
Lifting weights, aka Resistance Training gives you an edge over belly fat, stress, heart disease, and cancer-and it's also the single most effective way to look hot in a bikini. Yet somehow women are still hesitant: Only about a fifth of females strength train two or more times a week.
Here are 10 reasons you shouldn't go another day without hitting the weights:
1. You'll lose 40 percent more fat.If you think cardio is the key to blasting belly fat, keep reading: When Penn State researchers put dieters into three groups-no exercise, aerobic exercise only, or aerobic exercise and weight training-they all lost around 21 pounds, but the lifters shed six more pounds of fat than those who didn't pump iron. Why? The lifters' loss was almost pure fat; the others lost fat and muscle.
Muscle loss may drop your scale weight, but it doesn't improve your reflection in the mirror and it makes you more likely to gain back the flab you lost.
2. Your clothes will fit better.Research shows that between the ages of 30 and 50, you'll likely lose 10 percent of your body's total muscle. Worse yet, it's likely to be replaced by fat over time, says a study. And that increases your waist size, because one pound of fat takes up 18 percent more space than one pound of muscle.
3. You'll burn more calories.Lifting increases the number of calories you burn while your butt is parked on the couch; your Resting Metabolic Rate. In fact, researchers found that when people did a total-body workout with just three big-muscle moves, their metabolisms were raised for 39 hours afterward. It also makes you a better fat burner. The More lean body mass a person has the faster they are able to use up their primary source of fuel (glycogen) and tap into their fat stores!
Lifting gives you a better burn during exercise too: Doing a circuit of eight moves can expend 159 to 231 calories. That's about what you'd burn if you ran at a 10-mile-per-hour pace for the same duration.
4. Your diet will improve.Exercise helps your brain stick to a diet plan. University of Pittsburgh researchers studied 169 overweight adults and found that those who didn't follow a three-hours-a-week training regimen ate more than their allotted 1,500 calories a day. The reverse was also true- sneaking snacks sabotaged their workouts.
5. You'll handle stress better.
Break a sweat in the weight room and you'll stay cool under pressure. Scientists determined that the fittest people exhibited lower levels of stress hormones than those who were the least fit.
6. You'll be happier.Yoga isn't the only Zen-inducing kind of exercise. Researchers found that people who performed two weight workouts a week for six months significantly improved their scores on measures of anger and overall mood.
7. You'll build stronger bones.As you age, bone mass goes to pot, which increases your likelihood of one day suffering a debilitating fracture. The good news: A study found that 16 weeks of resistance training increased hip bone density and elevated blood levels of osteocalcin-a marker of bone growth-by 19 percent.
8. You'll get into shape faster.The term cardio shouldn't describe only aerobic exercise: A study found that circuit training with weights raises your heart rate 15 beats per minute higher than if you ran at 60 to 70 percent of your max heart rate. This approach strengthens muscles and provides cardiovascular benefits similar to those of aerobic exercise- so you save time without sacrificing results. An important one in our busy lives.
9. Your heart will be healthier.Researchers at the University of Michigan found that people who did three total-body weight workouts a week for two months decreased their diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by an average of eight points. That's enough to reduce the risk of a stroke by 40 percent and the chance of a heart attack by 15 percent.
10. You'll be way more productive. (take this one to HR) Lifting could result in a raise (or at least a pat on the back from your boss). Researchers found that workers were 15 percent more productive on days they exercised compared with days they didn't. So on days you work out, you can (theoretically) finish in eight hours what would normally take nine hours and 12 minutes.
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UPCOMING CLASSES AND SEMINARS
Box 2B Fit, starts again next Tuesday at 6pm! Come join Ryan for a fun, energetic, intense 1 hour workout! Learn the moves that the real pros use! Hurry and sign up class starts Tues, March 22nd!
Learn more about our Box2B Fit Class Cycling Camp 101 starts April 16th! Have fun in the great outdoors of Portland and the surrounding area. You will learn how to ride in a group as well as climb and descend efficiently! Get in the best shape of your life and burn over 2000 calories per workout!
For more info and to sign up for the 3 month program, click hereSouth Sister Summit is coming at the end of August and will be the icing on the cake to all your hard work. We will spend the weekend in beautiful Bend Oregon and climb the 3rd tallest peak in Oregon! If you have ever been interested in challenging yourself with an amazing hike, this one is for you!
Click here to view more info about the 2011 Sisters SummitYours in Health & Wellness,
Tammie & James Dubberly and your Whole Body Fitness Team
