Strength Training tends to be overlooked by newcomers to the fitness world because it is thought that building muscle won't take the weight off. That is a fallacy that leads its believers to poor health and a body that may become slimmer, but not shapely, healthy, and physically fit. Keep reading if you want to find out some reasons to pick up the weights when you finish running on the treadmill.
Muscle Burns Fat
The more lean muscle mass you have, the less fat you will have. The reason for this is that muscle actually burns fat. Muscle makes the body a more well-oiled machine that keeps burning for hours after a work out. Studies have shown people who lift weights have an even lower fat mass percentage than those who do aerobic exercise alone. What a great reason to combine the two for ultimate results!
Muscle Builds Strength
Sounds like a common sense statement, doesn't it? But, most people don't stop to consider that the more strength you have, the less likely you may be to get injured. Of course, that doesn't mean to over do the weights because this can also injure you. But, if you are an avid runner, it might make sense to lift some weights so your body is stronger and can run longer without getting injured.
Muscle Re-Shapes the Body
Okay, so you just dropped fifty pounds through diet and a nightly jog through your neighborhood. But, when you look in the mirror, things still jiggle that you don't want to jiggle and you still carry weight in the same spots you always did. The best way to get rid of this is to shape your body through building muscle. This will tighten, firm, tone, and target those trouble spots that you just can't seem to get rid of. It will build muscle in place of fat, which always makes for a better experience looking in the mirror!
Muscle Fights Disease
The highest number of women who get osteoporosis in later years are ones of slim build. Doctors always say that one of the best ways to fight this debilitating bone loss is to do weight-bearing activities, which increase bone density. Muscle also has been shown in major studies to fight the onset of type two diabetes, build the heart muscle to fight heart disease, and even help those who suffer from arthritis be more symptom free. Muscle also develops immunity, which helps fight every disease. This is because muscle supplies the immune system with the disease-fighting amino acid glutamine, and the more muscle you have, the more glutamine is supplied to the immune system.
How to Lift and Still Stay Slim
The best way to build lean muscle is to use slightly lighter weights than you can handle and do more repetitions. This will make sure you aren't bulking up. You can also burn more fat by weight lifting at a more rapid pace, so you are getting the cardio work out while you build lean muscle. For someone with a hectic schedule, this might be the best way to maximize a work out in a shorter time period. Go to the gym and experiment on the machines, or bring a friend to show you. Most gyms even give free first-time personal training sessions to help acclimate gym-goers to the machines. Many machines show on the machine which muscles it works, so while you're working out you know what muscles you've worked and which ones you have left. Try to do upper body muscles one day and lower body muscles in your next work out so you don't over work any one area.
