As obesity levels rise higher and higher around the world, there is one aspect to this problem that hasn't changed...
You have to expend some energy and put in some effort if you want to achieve weight loss and fitness with diet and slimming exercises and weight training.
While there are many ways to go about this one of the most efficient weight loss methods continually meets resistance... (Hmm. Maybe that's why it's called resistance training ...) namely, weight training.
Women generally have the hardest time accepting weight (resistance) training into their fast fighting repertoire. After all, few women want to bulk up and look muscular and less feminine...
and that's what'll happen if you pump iron, right?
Wrong!
The only time you see a female body builder is when they're posing on stage and a common reaction is 'Yuk. I don't want to look like that! I just want fitness and a nice slim figure.'
Yet if you saw those same women in normal clothes in normal situations you'd most likely want to have the trim, shapely body that they have.
The common misconception is that if you do weight training you are going to suddenly bloom out with muscles all over you. If only that were true; keeping the weight down would be easy.
The fact is, very few women could ever make themselves look like a Ms Olympia body builder. They are professional athletes who work incredibly hard in their training and on their diet in order to maximize their muscle mass and muscular appearance.
Believe me, getting too muscular is the least of your problems. So don't reject this major weapon in your arsenal against body fat on a mistaken assumption.
Instead, consider what weight bearing exercise will do for you in the war on fat:
1.Build a firm foundation to your muscle structure.
You have muscles all over you. We all do. Without them we wouldn't be able to move. Moderate resistance training is all that's required to firm and tone your muscles. Remember, it takes a lot of work to actually look muscular.
2.Burn more calories right away.
You know aerobic exercise burns calories while you've doing them but a real boost comes from weight training. Your metabolism (rate of calorie burning) stays quite elevated for 20-40 minutes after an aerobic workout. With resistance training your metabolism stays elevated for at least an hour after your workout. Overall your metabolism will stay somewhat elevated and boosts calorie burning for anything from 4 to 24 hours depending on the intensity. It is important that your resistance training be progressively increased in intensity.
3.Burn even more calories in the long run.
With resistance training you are actually building muscle tissue, which is very active metabolically in comparison to fat, which is nearly inert. A kilo of muscle requires 50-100 calories a day just to maintain itself. So the more muscle tissue you have the more energy (fat) you'll burn off just by living, even when you're resting!
4.Strengthen bones and supporting muscle structure
This is so you don't become prematurely old, stooped and weak and susceptible to injury. This is a major reason why even women who don't need to lose fat should still be concerned about maintaining muscle tissue.
5.Improve self-esteem.
When you look good you tend to feel good. With more toned muscle you not only look better but feel good because you actually have more energy. You feel more confident and positive about life, and better able to cope with stress.
So c'mon ladies, regardless of your age, let's assist your diet and slimming program and boost your general fitness. It's time to get into moving some weights around so you can move that excess weight off your body and raise the quality of body and life. Don't wait. Start your weight training today.
About the Author:
Alwyn Beikoff is an educator and personal performance coach who helps people the world over to change the way they think and create the body and life they desire.
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