Tell me if this sounds familiar: you've been going to the gym for months, ran on the treadmill, took a spinning class, got really sore from an hour of aerobics and had lots of fun kick-boxing. You've sweated, worked really hard but have little to show for it. Meanwhile, many of your fellow gym goers are spending time lifting weights, losing weight and looking fit and toned. Maybe you've said to yourself "Hmm...I just don't think I'm a weight-lifting kind of person." Maybe you're afraid of bulking up? Looking muscle-bound? Let me set the record straight right now. It's not going to happen unless you want it to, and even then, you really need to lift a lot of heavy weights to get that type of physique.
Ask any bodybuilder or personal trainer, they'll tell you the same thing: those who only do cardio will never achieve the results they want. Why? Cardiovascular exercise can help the body to burn fat, but doesn't build much muscle mass. There's only one way to achieve this; by adding resistance and weight training to your workout. Something interesting happens to your body when you lift weights: it increases your lean body mass. This in turn helps your body burn calories. Low calorie diets and/or cardiovascular training alone can actually make you lose muscle, and make you fatter! When your body loses lean body mass, your metabolism slows down, and this makes it easier to gain fat. If you increase your lean body mass, you increase your metabolic rate. The faster your metabolism is, the more fat you'll burn all day long - even while you're sleeping! Now you know why bodybuilders, who have very high muscle to fat ratios, can stay lean year round without doing much aerobic work.
Things to think about:
Ignore your scale! Not all weight is created equal. Most women look at a scale as an indicator of how fit they are. It may be hard to understand that muscle weighs more than fat. As you build muscle and burn fat, the scale may not move much. Yet your clothes fit better and you look and feel better. Isn't that a better measure of success? Muscle weight is not the same as bodyfat; it's hard to know what the scale is really saying.
Monitor your progress by taking pictures! Snap a picture of yourself every week or month to track your improvements. Ask a trainer to take your body fat measurements. Monitor this every month. You'll be surprised at the progress you're making.
Lift weights! The first paragraph in this article illustrates why this is so important to help you meet your fitness goals. You can burn calories sitting at your computer if your metabolism is revved up from weight lifting.
Don't forget to eat! And eat right! Small, nutritious, filling meals throughout the day will help keep your body at peak fat-burning levels. Increase the amount of fresh veggies and whole grains, avoid any processed foods and sugar, and eat only lean protein.
Remember: if you want to see real results, add strength and resistance training to your workout routine.
Author Resource:-
Jason Kozma is a professional Manhattan Beach Personal Trainer in Southern California. Jason and his High Performance Training Team are helping residents all over Southern California lose weight and get in the best shape of their lives. Find out more by visiting: Personal Trainer Los Angeles
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