Strength over Cardio?
In this post I wanted to outline some of the benefits of strength training, I know many women think its only for men and would rather run on the treadmill endlessly but then they wonder why they aren’t seeing the results when it comes to weigh loss.
If you want to feel strong, powerful and look toned you need to incorporate some type of strength training routine, it doesn’t need to be difficult and you don’t need to lift heavy weights, in fact some of the most intense workouts don’t require any equipment at all. If you’re new to strength training just start with something easy like beginners class, you’ll be surprised by how quickly your body adapts.
Benefits of a Regular Strength Training
-Afterwards the body experiences a metabolic spike for a couple hours, so you continue to burn calories long after your workout ends.
-For every extra pound of muscle you build your body will burn an extra 40 calories over the course of the day…from doing nothing. If you gain 3lbs of muscle over the course of the year you will loose 10lbs!
-Studies have demonstrated that strength training twice a week prevents you from gaining intra abdominal fat, that’s the kind that wraps around your organs and constricts blood vessels.
-Strengthening muscles can benefit a cardiovascular routine, running in particular can be hard on your muscles and joints so strengthening the core and hip stabilizing muscles can help to prevent injuries.
Take Away- Strength training doesn’t only help you loose unwanted pounds more quickly then cardio it all improves your overall fitness level much more effectively.