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Strength Training Workouts

Strength Training Workouts and Fat Loss - If you’re trying to trim down and aerobics just isn't giving you the results that you want (and that you deserve), it’s time to try something different. While it’s not the latest fad or the newest idea, strength training haven’t been given enough credit for sculpting the body that you crave.

Why does it work?

Most people associate strength training workouts with building large, body builder type muscles, but this isn’t the case. While you could get to those proportions, chances are good that you don’t have the eight hours a day to train like those athletes and competitors do.

For the person that works out to get in shape or to stay healthy, adding strength training workouts is a crucial step to take. When you build muscle in your body, not only are you able to burn calories in the workout, but the muscles that you have built will then burn more calories while you’re not working out – and that’s what keeps you in shape.

A pound of muscle burns 50 calories each day! A pound of fat only burns 5. Big difference! The more muscle you have, the better for your metabolism.

How much training do you need?

Strength training workouts don’t have to be long and arduous in order to produce the results that you desire. In fact, most people can see results in as little as two or three twenty minute workouts per week. And everyone can fit that into their schedule.

Think of it this way: your muscles don’t know how much time you’ve spent on making them work, they just know how hard you’ve worked during the strength training workouts. If you’re working your muscles efficiently and practicing good form, you’ll be well on your way (and quickly) to a more defined and shapely body.

However, more is not necessarily better with strength training workouts, as you’ll read in the next section. You need to give your body at least 48 hours of rest in between the workouts.

How does this work?

Strength training workouts strain your muscles in order to create little tears in the muscles with each movement. While this doesn’t sound like a good idea, it’s the beginning of good muscle building. When these tears heal, new muscle fibers are formed, leading to a larger muscle.

Ladies, don't freak out yet! You are not going to gain huge massive muscles from lifting 10-30 pound weights. Women do NOT have enough testosterone to get big and bulky.

You can look at strength training workouts as actually doing more good when you’re done, rather than when you’re actually doing the work. It’s the rest time that reaps the rewards. Your muscle repairs and grows a little bit during each rest period.

If you never rest, your muscles never repair! That's not a good move and definitely not recommended.

Are there some basic muscle groups that I should work?

It’s easiest to focus on various sections of the body when you’re planning strength training workouts. Many people like to think of their body in terms of upper, lower, and abdominals. This allows them to find exercises that will help each section, leaving the body balanced and lean overall.

You will also want to exercise opposing groups of muscles. This means that strength training workouts for the abdominals should include exercises for the abs as well as the back. Because these two groups support each other, they need to be worked out as a pair. Other examples of this are the biceps and triceps, quadriceps and hamstrings, upper back and chest.

Will working out one section of my body lead to weight loss?

There’s a common fallacy about strength training workouts that needs to be corrected. While you can work hard on your abdominals, for example, training them every day will not make them flatter. It will just lead to over-training and possible injury.

But combining strength training workouts with aerobic exercise can help to remove that layer of fat that’s covering up your strong abdominals. Strength training alone is not going to reveal that six-pack. It takes cardio and proper nutrition too.

Strength training workouts are just another way to create the body that you want. By working your muscles and helping them become more efficient, you can burn calories all day, and becoming sleeker and sleeker without having to starve or exercise for hours on end.



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