Friday, April 13, 2012

Muscle Mania!

So as you know, I'm all about finding a fitness routine that you love and adore so that you too can develop a love (or at least like!) for fitness. However... there is one caveat: You must incorporate some sort of strength training into your regimen. Really. This is pretty much non-negotiable. Well, that is, only if you want the best results and the tightest tush. Up to you.



Why, do you ask, is strength training so darn important? Consider the following:

1.The more muscle you have, the more calories you're burning, even while at rest.

More calories are used to make and maintain muscle than fat, and you're
going to love this: Strength training can boost your metabolism by as
much as 15%! So you're torching those calories even while sitting on your
bum watching Law & Order:SVU.



(Please excuse the ciggy in her mouth. Of course I don't condone lighting up!)

2.The more muscle you gain, the tighter your physique.

Muscle takes up less room than fat = a leaner, tighter you!!

3. Your regular cardio workouts will be easier

The more strength you acquire, the more you'll be able to apply to your
normal cardio fitness routine

4. Helps protect those bones of yours

According to Troy Tuttle, MS, an exercise physiologist at the University of
Texas Medical School, "One of the best ways to stop, prevent and even reverse
bone and muscle loss is to add strength training to your workots." Strength
training can help you to increase your bone density and reduce your risk of
bone fractures, which becomes more of a concern the older you get. It also
helps with arthritis.




Contrary to popular belief, strength training doesn't make women bulk up. Au contraire! It makes you leaner!!! So try lifting some free weights at your gym,
or do push-ups during commercials, or use resistance bands. Any way that you can work it into your life is beneficial. Aim for at least 2x a week, but make sure that you don't work the same muscle groups on consecutive days. For example, work legs and back one day, then shoulders and arms the next. Try to add a day of rest in between your strengh training sessions.



Key tips:
1. Form is everything!!
If you can't maintain proper form, then go lighter! If your form is crap,
then you won't benefit as much as you would if you lifted the appropriate
weights. For example, performing bicep curls, make sure that you extend your
arms straight at the bottom of the rep.
2. Try to move through your sets as quickly as possible.
It's cool to take a rest when needed, but decrease as much as possible the
number of breathers you take in between moves.
3. Go heavy!
Go as heavy as you can handle while maintaining that good form. Look at it
this way: The heavier you lift, the sooner you can call it quits!
4. Do Circuits.
Super effective, super fun, and super great way to make the minutes melt
away. For example, do two sets of 12 reps of tricep dips, then jump rope
for one minute, then bicep curls, then jumping jacks for a minute, then 20
push-ups, then run in place, etc. You get the pic.
5. Work more than on muscle group at once.
Example: Do bicep curls while squatting. Again, just make sure that you don't
work the same muscle groups the next day.



Very important to remember: MUSCLE WEIGHS MORE THAN FAT. I repeat, MUSCLE WEIGHS MORE THAN FAT. So forget about that scale!!! Once you start lifting, you'll most likely start gaining weight yet your clothes will magically become smaller. You'd be surprised how much super fit people weigh, simply because they're packing around loads of muscles. Yet one more reason to stop being a slave to the scale. I mean it.



If you're unsure of where to start, then try going to classes at your local gym, or buy an at-home fitness program, or ask me for some pointers. Body Pump is a must try, whether at Gold's Gym or Beachbody's at-home version. P90X is the ultimate, and now there's even a P90X 2!! Whatever it is, shop around, find something you love, and remember to keep changing it up to keep that body of yours guessing! HAPPY LIFTING!



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