Say strength training exercise and many people think bodybuilding and bulking up. But nothing could be further from the truth. Strength training is undoubtedly the single most important tool in the fight against excess body fat and being overweight. The facts are strength training will tone and rebuild lost muscle tissue increasing your metabolism (your body's engine). This means you will be burning more calories when you are active and when you are resting or asleep. You will be mobilizing those body fat stores and using them for energy. And, even though the bathroom scales might read the same you will lose body fat and inches as muscle is denser than fat and takes up less space. So you can become a smaller and leaner person when you perform strength training exercise on a regular basis. It seems so silly that some people (especially women) still worry about overdeveloping their muscles and becoming unattractive. As if protruding bellies, thin thighs, saggy butts and flabby chests and arms that many people own are attractive. Toned muscle tissue is what gives a body that firm, sleek and shapeliness that most people admire. For the last 30 odd years we have been lead to believe that aerobic (cardio) activity such as walking, jogging or cycling is necessary for weight loss. Research has now shown that aerobic exercise alone is not sufficient for weight loss. Why, you may say? What are the reasons behind this shift in beliefs? Muscular strength is now considered a very important piece of the fitness/ health puzzle and a loss of strength is one of the first indicators of the aging process. This loss of muscle tissue starts around the mid 20's at the rate of around one half pound per year and this rate doubles after age 50 and is a result of not enough strength maintaining activity. If health is to be maintained this loss needs to be addressed and the only way to do it is to work the muscles with proper exercise on a regular basis. It is no longer enough to exercise the heart and lungs and stretch our muscles. As our muscles are attached to our bones when we exercise our muscles we strengthen our bones as well reducing the risk of osteoporosis the bone thinning and weakening disease. We used to believe that cardio endurance activity works the muscles but in reality strength gains are miniscule and very little toning and firming takes place. Any repetitive activity such as cross training machines, stair climbers, bicycles or treadmills do not provide the progressive resistance necessary to develop meaningful strength and an increase in metabolism that strength training can. When you are doing activities like walking or jogging, your muscles work repetitively against minimal to zero resistance. This is not the path to building strength and body firmness along with stronger bones and these benefits can only come from increased strength. As the amount of toned muscle tissue you have on your body determines the metabolic rate (the rate you body burns fuel) if your muscles become flabby and un-toned the amount of fuel (calories) you burn decreases and it becomes more likely that you will become overweight. Strength training is not just your ticket to fat loss and the body of your dreams but a wealth of health benefits as well. Just a couple of sessions each week with the right program and you will be amazed at how quickly you will get into better shape.
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