6 facts about strength training.
If you want to lose weight, you should create a calorie deficit (through exercise and diet) and see how your body responds to this. You will find that where you tend to gain extra fat, you lose it last. In women, this is often the thighs, buttocks and lower abdomen. In men, this is most often the stomach and waist.
Instead of spending money on false promises and stupid gadgets that promise targeted fat loss, try a healthier approach so that you can get your strongest, and not an idealized body that always seems out of reach:
* Regular cardio exercises in the target heart rate zone
* Strength training for the whole body from 1 to 3 days a week, not consecutive
* A healthy low-calorie diet
Fact 2: For the best results, you should use different weights and different number of repetitions
In fact, contrary to popular belief, strength training with less weight and more repetitions does not burn more fat. The only way to tone your body is to create a calorie deficit that allows you to lose fat. Using light weights for more repetitions will help you increase muscle endurance. This really has a place in training, but a good figure is achieved precisely due to fat loss.
So, does this mean that you should not use a light weight with a lot of repetitions when doing strength training? Not obligatory. How you lift weights depends on your goals and level of physical fitness. But for weight loss, it is better to use different ranges of repetitions and weights.
Approximate number of repetitions
· To increase strength: from 1 to 6 repetitions with heavy weights.
* For a set of muscles: from 8 to 12 repetitions with medium and heavy weights.
* Endurance: 12 to 16 reps (or more) with light and medium weights.
No matter how many repetitions are required, you should always lift such a weight that you can only perform the desired number of repetitions. If you are doing 12 biceps bends, choose a weight that will allow you to do 12 repetitions with the correct technique. If you can do more, increase the weight of the equipment.
Applying all three ranges, whether you use them every week, every month, or change them every few weeks, is a great way to challenge your body in different ways.
Fact 3: Strength training increases muscle mass and potential calorie burning. Although cardio exercises are important for fat burning and weight loss, this is not the only type of exercise that can help you lose weight.
Strength training helps to maintain the muscles that you have, as well as increase muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn all day.
Why do we need strength training
Remember that muscles are more active than fat. In fact, 0.5 kg of muscle can burn 10 to 20 calories per day, while 0.5 kg of fat burns only 2-5 calories per day. And muscles are denser than fat, and take up less space. This means that when you lose fat and gain muscle, you become slimmer.
Many people, especially women, avoid strength training either because they think they will gain weight, or because they prefer cardio. But strength training has a number of advantages:
* Create fat-free muscle tissue.
* Strengthen muscles, bones and connective tissue.
* Keep your body strong and protected from injury during cardio workouts.
* Increase the metabolism.
An effective weight loss program will include regular strength training and cardio exercises, performed separately or together, depending on your schedule and goals. Another important component is, of course, a healthy diet. By implementing all three components, you can maximize your weight loss and health.
Fact 4: Soreness after a workout is not necessarily an indicator of a good workout
How do I know if you have completed a good strength training? Many people will measure their workouts by how much it hurts them to move the next day, but this is not the best way to evaluate the benefits of exercise.
Soreness is normal if you are a beginner, if you have changed your usual daily routine or are trying new activities. But over time, this soreness should decrease. If you feel pain after each workout, you may need to add more recovery days or reduce the intensity of training to give your body time to adapt and become stronger.
In fact, the soreness is caused by small breaks in the muscle fibers, this is how the muscles react when overloaded. Rest and recovery are necessary to increase strength and build muscle tissue. If you feel pain after each workout, you may need more time to recover or you risk overtraining and getting injured.
How do I know if you are training well?
* Lift enough weight. When strength training, you should always choose a heavy enough weight so that you can perform only the desired number of repetitions. If you have finished the approach and realized that you can do a few more repetitions, increase your weight so that the last repetition is difficult, but not impossible.
* Work out all muscle groups. Regardless of whether you are doing a general workout or a split program, make sure that you engage all muscle groups two or three times a week, doing at least one exercise per muscle group (you can do more if you are more advanced).
* Keep challenging yourself. As your muscles adapt to regular exercise, increase the load, intensity and duration of training over time.
To reduce soreness, you should warm up before training, as well as cool down and stretch the muscles that you used after training.
Fact 5: Strength training makes you slimmer
Women usually do not have the right amount of testosterone to build huge muscles. In fact, even men find it difficult to gain muscle mass.
Why women need to lift weights
Lifting weights can benefit both men and women. In fact, by challenging your body with heavy weights, you will really see results and become stronger. Remember that muscles take up less space than fat. When you increase your muscles, it helps you lose fat (of course, along with cardio and a healthy diet), which means that you will become slimmer.
If you still don't want to lift weights because you've never tried it and don't know where to start, try the General Body Strength training for beginners, which will introduce you to the basics of a solid strength program.
Fact 6: You can lift weights at any age
Of course, if you have any health problems or diseases, consult your doctor to get permission. In addition, there are no age restrictions for starting a strength program, and, even better , the exercises that you will perform will make your life better.
· Better functioning
* Building strong and dry muscles
· Great strength and flexibility
* Improved balance and coordination
· More confidence
* Reduced risk of falls
· Weight management
In fact, the risks associated with the lack of exercise and weight lifting are much higher than with a safe and effective strength program. Without exercise, we can lose from 3% to 5% of our muscle mass in a decade after 40 years, which experts call sarcopenia. This loss of muscle mass not only leads to weight gain, but also contributes to a decrease in functionality and strength.
You also don't need to do strength training for hours to get enough benefits. 30-60 minutes of a healthy and balanced workout with the correct exercise technique will be quite enough.
