Myth 3: If a woman does lift weights, than she should use light weights and complete a very high number of reps so that she doesn't get too big.
This is another one of those myths that you read about in the women's fitness magazines all the time. While it is a general rule that exercises performed with a weight that only allows the practitioner to achieve a low number of reps before reaching failure will promote muscle size, it doesn't mean that by doing 15 or 20 reps with a lighter weight that you're going to look more "toned" as opposed to "bulky." A toned muscle is achieved via two methods: reducing body fat so that you can see the muscle, and increasing the muscle size so that the muscle will be more pronounced. If you review the first myth mentioned above, you'll know that your body's ability to increase muscle mass is limited by the amount of testosterone it produces. So this means that by lifting lighter weights for a higher amount of reps, you're still going to increase your musculature by the same amount as if you were to use a heavier weight, only it's probably going to take longer to see the results.
With some common weight training myths now dispelled, let's delve into some of the benefits of weight training.
This is another one of those myths that you read about in the women's fitness magazines all the time. While it is a general rule that exercises performed with a weight that only allows the practitioner to achieve a low number of reps before reaching failure will promote muscle size, it doesn't mean that by doing 15 or 20 reps with a lighter weight that you're going to look more "toned" as opposed to "bulky." A toned muscle is achieved via two methods: reducing body fat so that you can see the muscle, and increasing the muscle size so that the muscle will be more pronounced. If you review the first myth mentioned above, you'll know that your body's ability to increase muscle mass is limited by the amount of testosterone it produces. So this means that by lifting lighter weights for a higher amount of reps, you're still going to increase your musculature by the same amount as if you were to use a heavier weight, only it's probably going to take longer to see the results.
With some common weight training myths now dispelled, let's delve into some of the benefits of weight training.
First and foremost, weight training is going to make your body look better. It does this through two avenues. First, as previously mentioned it increases the size of your musculature which is one of the two components of a toned appearance. Second, every pound of muscle on your body burns 30-50 calories per day. With one pound of fat equaling 3,500 calories, you can shed over 5 pounds of fat over the course of one year just by adding one pound of muscle. (Do the math yourself if you don't believe me.) Imagine what you could do if you added 5 or even 10 pounds of muscle!
An additional benefit of weight training is the added strength. This is pretty obvious, but being stronger will help with many aspects of your life, whether it's playing sports, moving furniture, or even just carrying groceries to the car. In addition to this, weight training is great for the health of your bones. By including regular weight training into your life, you can potentially slow down the effects of osteoporosis by increasing the strength and mass of your bones.
One final benefit I'm going to mention is the amount of calories that are burned by completing a weight lifting session. An hour of challenging and intense weight lifting has been shown to burn the same amount, if not more, calories as an hour of cardio. Also, because of the metabolism-boosting nature of the workout, your body will continue to burn extra calories throughout the day even while you're at rest!
An additional benefit of weight training is the added strength. This is pretty obvious, but being stronger will help with many aspects of your life, whether it's playing sports, moving furniture, or even just carrying groceries to the car. In addition to this, weight training is great for the health of your bones. By including regular weight training into your life, you can potentially slow down the effects of osteoporosis by increasing the strength and mass of your bones.
One final benefit I'm going to mention is the amount of calories that are burned by completing a weight lifting session. An hour of challenging and intense weight lifting has been shown to burn the same amount, if not more, calories as an hour of cardio. Also, because of the metabolism-boosting nature of the workout, your body will continue to burn extra calories throughout the day even while you're at rest!
👉 Weight Training for Women: Benefits and Common Misconceptions : Myth 1
👉 Weight Training for Women: Benefits and Common Misconceptions : Myth 2
👉 Weight Training for Women: Benefits and Common Misconceptions : Myth 2
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