Ever wonder why you plateau in your weight loss regimen, when you only do cardio and eat right? Because those two things can only take you so far. Muscle burns more fat, even when you are sitting at your desk or sleeping. Some women can get the skinny look by doing cardio and/or watching what they eat, but they are the ones that do not look healthy, they look "too skinny". I know this from experience. When I first started on my weight loss journey, eating healthy and cardio got me to a "too skinny" look. I found a video program that incorporated hand weights into the interval training and wow at how my body transformed from too skinny to a toned skinny, I lost inches yet look more healthy. I found that I got sleek and toned and not bulked up like I thought I would. It was a pleasant surprise!
Some things lifting weights will do for you:
Burns Calories and speeds up your metabolism - and honestly who doesn't want that? this means you are burning calories hours after your work out. Sure you may burn more calories during your 1-hour cardio class than you would lifting weights for an hour (for those of us like me who keep track of that), but weight training burns an average of 100 more calories during the 24 hours after their training session ended. Also remember, 1 lb of muscle burns about 30 calories a day just to sustain itself. Add up all your muscle weight and that is a lot of calories burned!
You will tone up - while cardio melts away the fat, weights sculpt your body to make you looks extra sexy in all the right places!
Helps prevent some diseases like diabetes and heart disease and lowers blood pressure - Muscle helps remove glucose and triglycerides from the bloodstream, which reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, as well as hardening of the arteries. Strength training lowers blood pressure for 10 to 12 hours after each session, which gives your heart a break
You will fit in your skinny clothes - 1 lb of fat takes up a lot more room then 1 lb of muscle, so remember the scale lies, your clothes do not. Lifting makes you leaner which means your clothes fit better. Plus it helps you lose that pesky belly fat!
Makes your bones strong - Lifting weights can help counteract age-related bone loss and improves your balance, which will make you less likely to fall and break a bone! Win win
Strength building - your endurance increases as you lift weights, you are able to run longer, bike longer, do longer cardio classes.
You can do it anywhere and even without actual weights - No hand weights at home, no problem. Simply using your own bodyweight through the use of pushups, planks, chair dips, squats, and pull-ups is enough to tone and strengthen your entire body. Also the use of plyometrics moves (think squat jumps and burpees) not only builds muscle but burns tons of calories. This is why Insanity, P90x, T25 and Tony Hortons 10 minute trainer work so well, they combine cardio with your own bodyweight to sculp an amazing body
You will feel empowered! I love love love the feeling I get after lifting weights. It is as good as the high I get from a good cardio session. Maybe that is why I am addicted to Insanity (it is my all inclusive work out). You feel like you could take on the world! It is a great feeling!.
So I leave you with this fun image, which is very true. You have to WORK really hard to bulk up like the girl on the left. The girl on the right, is more of what you will see. I know I do.
Have a very fit day!
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