resistance training

Resistance training is simply working with weight that creates a resistance for a muscle to overcome or control. This can be your body weight, free weights, tubing, cables or machines. Many people who exercise to lose weight believe that spending extended periods of time on cardio equipment is the best route to burn calories.

However, this is not entirely true. Although you may feel like you’re doing more for yourself because you are hot and dripping with sweat – and your are burning calories -, the most effective way to get rid of unwanted calories is resistance training, and your best path for a calorie-burning program is resistance training supplemented with cardiovascular training.

Here’s Why

As your muscles develop and become more efficient they will have the need for more fuel. This revs your metabolism into high gear causing your muscles to continue burning stored energy (calories) even when you’re not exercising!

Or to put it another way: Cardio will increase your metabolism and keep it going for about 30 to 40-minutes after you’ve finished exercising, while Resistance Training will increase your metabolism and keep it going for about 3 to 4 hours after you’ve finished!

Read that last one again.

If you have religiously done only cardio training to burn calories let it sink in before you move on.

Other benefits from resistance training are:

• Cardiovascular efficiency (helps strengthen the heart)
• Increased lean muscle mass (reduces body fat)
• Metabolic efficiency (burn calories longer)
• Increased tissue tensile strength (keeps muscles, tendon & ligaments from tearing)
• Increased bone density (less chance for osteoporosis or broken bones)
• Increase joint stability (reduced injuries)

A Woman’s Fear

One of the constant obstacles for a personal trainer to overcome when introducing women to resistance training is that they are afraid of getting big or “buffed”.

Ladies, let me set your minds at ease: it-is-very-hard-for-a-man-to-gain-muscle-mass (without drugs). It-is-ten-times-tougher-for-a-woman.

Now genetics can play a role but, for the most part, you have nothing to worry about. It takes a very dedicated lifestyle or enhancement drugs to get the kind of muscular physiques you see in body building shows and magazines. Even popular movie stars have to dedicate time with a personal trainer and a nutritionist to obtain their physiques. And yes, some of them use steroids or other enhancement drugs too.

Ninety-nine percent of all women that I have trained want to lose weight as their exercise goal. Let me explain to you – and this goes for the guys too – if you want to lose weight fast, keep it off, and make it last, resistance training is the most powerful weapon for you to accomplish this with.

Live Healthy – Be Free,

Tony
http://ifitness101.com
The Straight Facts for Creating Healthy Lifestyles

Tony Simoneli has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Kinesiology and has been nationally certified as a Personal Trainer from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) for over 12-years.

This includes additional certifications in Optimal Performance Training with NASM, and Nutrition from Apex Fitness. He is also the author of – Start Here: How to Have Success with ANY Diet and Fitness Program.

Author: Tony Simoneli
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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