Weight Lifting for Absolute Beginners
Weight Lifting for Absolute Beginners
"You can do this!"
If you think that weightlifting is for burly guys, but not for you, think again. Strength training is one of the best exercises for women, to help you stay fit, lose weight, and maintain strong bones. And it doesn't have to be expensive or difficult - we'll show you how.
Weight Lifting exercise benefits :
Look at this list of the benefits you might gain by adding a weightlifting routine to your schedule:
- Easier weight loss or weight maintenance
- Leaner, stronger body
- Improved appearance
- Better posture
- Lower blood pressure
- Increased resting metabolism rate
- Improved balance and coordination (used to be called "grace")
- Stronger bones, and protection against osteoporosis
In simple terms, this means you'll look better and feel stronger. And if you need to lose weight, strength training is an absolute must. Low calorie diets lower your metabolism - it's been known for years that trying to lose weight with a low-calorie diet alone will just put you on the yo-yo diet roller-coaster. If you want to get off the roller-coaster and lose your excess weight permanently, you need to do something different. You need to use simple strength training exercises combined with a healthy diet low in sugar and fat, because this regimen will let you lose weight fast - and keep it off for good.
Fat-burning benefits of lifting weights :
The fat-burning benefits of weight lifting exercises actually go on working even when you're at rest. How can that happen?
Because muscle cells burn more energy than fat cells, and strong muscles burn more calories than flabby muscles. They also store sugar as a source of energy for the next time they're used.
The sugar stored in muscle cells doesn't turn into fat. And the improved metabolism means that you don't have to worry as much about dieting. If you've been dieting for years, weight lifting exercises are even more important, because they allow you to correct the metabolic damage caused by your low-cal diets.
Weight lifting leads to permanent weight loss :
Why does an efficient metabolism matter? Because a slower metabolism means you'll gain weight if you don't reduce the amount of food you eat. And according to Covert Bailey, dieting alone can actually slow down your metabolism, which just makes matters worse. The best way to lose weight and look fantastic is to eat a healthy diet filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, while also using both aerobic exercises and strength training exercises throughout the week.
Eat right, practice a simple weight lifting program three times a week. Walk a few more blocks to work. That's all it takes to get the improved metabolism that helps you lose weight even when you're resting and having fun.
Weight lifting for osteoporosis - build stronger bones :
If you're still in your teens a weight lifting program will quickly tone your body and help you look fantastic in your new two-piece swimsuit. It will even help you stand taller and move more gracefully. These are all wonderful reasons to start a simple weight lifting program, and I encourage you to do so.
If you're older, say 35 or more, weight lifting exercises offer even more. Some people have found a reduction in their arthritis symptoms, and many doctors insist that their patients with high blood pressure need to begin lifting light weights. It has also been shown that we begin to lose muscles by about a half pound per year after the age of 35 - and replace that muscle with about 1 1/2 pounds of fat! This does more than make you look pudgy - the reduced muscle mass will lead to feeling fatigued and weaker as you get older. Lifting light weights three or four times a week, and getting out of the house to do some walking, will help to reverse this natural trend.
But perhaps the most important reason to take the time to lift weights a few times each week is the threat of bone loss, or osteoporosis. As we age our bones begin to lose calcium, causing them to become brittle and easily broken. We don't have to sit back and just wait for it to happen - we can actually reduce the calcium loss, and even reverse it, with simple strength training exercises.