There are numerous benefits to strength/weight training:
● Muscles burn more than 50% more calories than fat (a pound of fat burn 2 calories a day, whereas a pound of muscles burns 6).
● Weight Training strengthens bones and connective tissue along with muscles. Post-menopausal women can lose 1-2% of their bone mass annually. Results from a study conducted at Tufts University, which were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1994, showed that strength training increases bone density and reduces the risk for fractures among women aged 50-70.
● Strength/weight training reduces the signs and symptoms of numerous diseases and chronic conditions, among them: arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity , back pain, depression.
Many women I speak with develop somewhat of a phobia of weight training. They are afraid that they will look too masculine. Let me clear something up for you, ladies, you're not going to wake up huge from weight training—your body simply does not produce enough testosterones to become as big and as quickly as man can. A woman would have to train a lot harder and longer to achieve same results as an average weight-training male.
So, now I might have convinced a few of you, and you might have become interested in weight training, but you are curious on how fast you will be able to gain the coveted muscle mass. According to Dr. Cedric Bryant, Chief Exercise Physiologist at ACE, the average person usually gains about 3-5 pounds of muscle mass every 3-4 months, if he/she is following a weight training program.
Here are a few tips for starters (taken from Georgia State University site):
1. Remember to warm up. Warming up gives the body a chance to deliver plenty of nutrient rich blood to areas about to be exercised, to actually warm the muscles and lubricate the joints.
2. Stretch - Increases or maintains muscle flexibility.
3. During the first week of starting an exercise program keep it light. Work on technique-good body mechanics and slowly work up to heavier weights.
4. Quick tips to maintain good body mechanics: go through the complete range of motion, move slowly and with control, breathe, and maintain a neutral spine. Never sacrifice form just to add more weight or repetitions.
5. The intensity of your workout depends on a number of factors, including the number of sets and repetitions, the overall weight lifted, and the rest between sets. You can vary the intensity of your workout to fit your activity level and goals.
6. Listen to your body. Heart rate is not a good way to determine your intensity when lifting weights, it is important to listen to your body based on an overall sense of feeling of exertion.
7. The MINIMUM amount of strength training recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine is eight to twelve repetitions of eight to ten exercises, at a moderate intensity, two days a week. You will get more overall gains with more days per week, sets and resistance, but the progression is one in which you must listen to your body.
8. Strength training sessions are recommended to last one hour or less.
9. As a general rule, each muscle that you train should be rested one to two days before being exercised further in order for the fatigued muscles to rebuild. 10. "No pain, no gain." This statement is not only false, but can be dangerous. Your body will adapt to strength training, and will reduce in body soreness each time you workout.
Strength Training Principles:
1. Overload: To see gains in strength you must always stimulate the muscle more than it is accustomed to.
2. Progression: The active muscle must continue to work against a gradually increasing resistance in order to meet overload.
3. Specificity: Gains you receive are dependent on the muscle group used, and movement pattern performed.
● Strength (maximal force): If you are interested in strength gains you want to train with higher weights.
● Muscles burn more than 50% more calories than fat (a pound of fat burn 2 calories a day, whereas a pound of muscles burns 6).
● Weight Training strengthens bones and connective tissue along with muscles. Post-menopausal women can lose 1-2% of their bone mass annually. Results from a study conducted at Tufts University, which were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1994, showed that strength training increases bone density and reduces the risk for fractures among women aged 50-70.
● Strength/weight training reduces the signs and symptoms of numerous diseases and chronic conditions, among them: arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity , back pain, depression.
Many women I speak with develop somewhat of a phobia of weight training. They are afraid that they will look too masculine. Let me clear something up for you, ladies, you're not going to wake up huge from weight training—your body simply does not produce enough testosterones to become as big and as quickly as man can. A woman would have to train a lot harder and longer to achieve same results as an average weight-training male.
So, now I might have convinced a few of you, and you might have become interested in weight training, but you are curious on how fast you will be able to gain the coveted muscle mass. According to Dr. Cedric Bryant, Chief Exercise Physiologist at ACE, the average person usually gains about 3-5 pounds of muscle mass every 3-4 months, if he/she is following a weight training program.
Here are a few tips for starters (taken from Georgia State University site):
1. Remember to warm up. Warming up gives the body a chance to deliver plenty of nutrient rich blood to areas about to be exercised, to actually warm the muscles and lubricate the joints.
2. Stretch - Increases or maintains muscle flexibility.
3. During the first week of starting an exercise program keep it light. Work on technique-good body mechanics and slowly work up to heavier weights.
4. Quick tips to maintain good body mechanics: go through the complete range of motion, move slowly and with control, breathe, and maintain a neutral spine. Never sacrifice form just to add more weight or repetitions.
5. The intensity of your workout depends on a number of factors, including the number of sets and repetitions, the overall weight lifted, and the rest between sets. You can vary the intensity of your workout to fit your activity level and goals.
6. Listen to your body. Heart rate is not a good way to determine your intensity when lifting weights, it is important to listen to your body based on an overall sense of feeling of exertion.
7. The MINIMUM amount of strength training recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine is eight to twelve repetitions of eight to ten exercises, at a moderate intensity, two days a week. You will get more overall gains with more days per week, sets and resistance, but the progression is one in which you must listen to your body.
8. Strength training sessions are recommended to last one hour or less.
9. As a general rule, each muscle that you train should be rested one to two days before being exercised further in order for the fatigued muscles to rebuild. 10. "No pain, no gain." This statement is not only false, but can be dangerous. Your body will adapt to strength training, and will reduce in body soreness each time you workout.
Strength Training Principles:
1. Overload: To see gains in strength you must always stimulate the muscle more than it is accustomed to.
2. Progression: The active muscle must continue to work against a gradually increasing resistance in order to meet overload.
3. Specificity: Gains you receive are dependent on the muscle group used, and movement pattern performed.
● Strength (maximal force): If you are interested in strength gains you want to train with higher weights.
● Endurance (sub-maximal force that is repeated): If you are interested in gains in endurance, you should concentrate on lifting lower weights and higher repetitions.
4. Arrangement:
● Warm-up - the warm-up should be "sport specific". In other words, if you are performing the bench press, begin your warm-up with a light intensity and perform 8-10 reps.
● Stretch - it is important to stretch to promote increased blood flow to the muscles, and to increase flexibility, range of motion and decrease the risk of injury.
● Workout - work larger muscle groups first, then smaller muscle groups.
● Cool-down - keeps the body active and prevents pooling of blood in the extremities. The cool-down is done at a lower intensity.
5. Breathing: When lifting weight or working muscles against resistance, exhale through the mouth as you are performing the work. Caution: Failure to breathe correctly during heavy weight lifting may cause drastic increases in blood pressure that may be harmful.
4. Arrangement:
● Warm-up - the warm-up should be "sport specific". In other words, if you are performing the bench press, begin your warm-up with a light intensity and perform 8-10 reps.
● Stretch - it is important to stretch to promote increased blood flow to the muscles, and to increase flexibility, range of motion and decrease the risk of injury.
● Workout - work larger muscle groups first, then smaller muscle groups.
● Cool-down - keeps the body active and prevents pooling of blood in the extremities. The cool-down is done at a lower intensity.
5. Breathing: When lifting weight or working muscles against resistance, exhale through the mouth as you are performing the work. Caution: Failure to breathe correctly during heavy weight lifting may cause drastic increases in blood pressure that may be harmful.
BE HEALTHY!!!
