Start Using Resistance Training and Ditch the Dumbbells
Would you like to take your workout efforts to the next level? Then you might want to give resistance training a try. A lot of people emphasize the importance of using weights. But you don’t need to lift weights to get lean and defined muscle. Using resistance bands is a great way to achieve your fitness goals.
Please help me welcome my friend, Satu as a guest blogger today. Satu is going to share how important strength training for women is and I can definitely attest to it. If you want to look and feel different, definitely start strength training.
Welcome Satu!
Non-negotiable: Strength Training for Women Over 40
If you’re a 40+ woman and do 4-5 weekly cardio workouts, you may think you already have it figured out fitness-wise. You certainly have no reason to worry about strength training.
For women over forty that’s a dangerous assumption to make. Let me explain why.
Do You Want More Youthful Looking Arms? Try these isolation exercises to reduce underarm flab!Guest Post by Kelli Smithgall of Fit & Sexy Lifestyle
I used to think because I was on the slender side that I would never have a problem with fat. So when the underneath of my arms started to lose what I thought was just muscle tone, I began trying to “target” that area with exercise.
Boy was I wrong.
When I didn’t see any results, I began to research. What I found was that the cause wasn’t loss of muscle tone, but it was from aging and excess body fat.
Fat? Please. How could *I* have had excess fat?
This is Part 2 in the lesson on Resistance Training for Women written by guest blogger, Claire.
If you want to turn yourself into a lean, mean, fat melting machine, then you need to start by doing 3 sessions of strength training each week. To burn the most fat you need to do a total body workout which targets all of your major muscle groups, e.g. your arms, legs, abs and back. Do this by choosing exercises which work several muscle groups, e.g. squats are great as they target the front and back of the legs compared to leg extension which just work the front of the thigh.
You should also try to do 3 sets of 10-12 reps of each exercise and if using free weights or machines, select a weight which is heavy enough so it feels hard to complete your last rep. If you can do 10-12 reps with ease than the weight is too light or if you are unable to complete the set number of reps then the weight is too heavy.
To get you started, here are some resistance training exercises. I have divided them into two categories depending on whether you are working out at home without equipment or in the gym.
Please help me welcome Claire, one of our guest bloggers this week. She is going to spend two days teaching us about resistance training.
Okay girls we all know that exercise is good for us! But most of us have very busy lives so we have to find really clever ways to fit physical exercise into our daily routine to lose weight fast and easy.
Most of you have probably been told that cardio workouts are the way forward to help you lose weight and although this is true you have to balance it with a good amount of strength training as well. Now, I know some of you might be reading this thinking, “Do you mean lifting weights? Surely that is what guys do!”
Today’s Tip: Choosing the right weight size for strength training
I have been doing some research on how best to choose the correct weight size and number of repetitions when it comes to using weights in the gym.
Strength training for those that don’t know is the use of free weights or weight machines and it’s an exercise that will work the muscles to the point of fatigue.
The overall consensus is that it’s best to start with 1-3 sets of 10-12 reps. And when you arrive at rep 10, you should start to feel that it’s harder to keep going. If there is no difficulty, the weight resistance is too low. Pick a weight size you think would work for you and experiment with it. If you feel it’s too light, increase the weight by 5 lbs. If it’s too much, decrease by 5 lbs. Do this until you feel you’re at a good weight.
In all the research I have found it looks like I have been doing OK. I keep a mini journal with me at the gym and always record the name of each piece of exercise equipment I use, the total weight, sets and reps that I complete. I usually do strength training 2-3 times a week for approximately 20 minutes. Each time, I choose to work a different group of muscles.
Do you participate in strength training? If so, what are your favorite exercises?
I enjoy using resistance bands
