In this post I want to talk about the importance of strength training. Not only for fat loss but for your mental well being, for your aging health (is that such a word?!) But what I mean by that is to keep your body healthy and fit as you age! And for your pregnancy and post-partum phases.
Lets define strength training. When I use these words I am referring to training where you need to lift, move, push or pull some kind of load or weight. This can be your body weight or an external load such as a kettlebell, barbell, dumbbell, sandbag or any other form of weight. Now if we think about a car that is travelling along on a flat road. The effort for it is relatively low. Light pressure is applied to the accelerator. The road is flat so it can travel along comfortably. When we hit a steep hill, we have to put more force onto the accelerator and the car engine has to WORK HARDER to move the car up the hill. Therefore the effort when travelling up a hill is far greater than when travelling along a flat road.
This is the analogy I want you to think about and keep in mind when you are doing strength training. In order to our body to make adaptations or changes, it needs to stimulated above what is COMFORTABLE. We want to find loads that are CHALLENGING for us and require effort for us to move them.
Lifting moderate to heavy loads (not light) for a number of repetitions will help you to gain muscle AND at the same time, burn alot more calories during AND after the training session.
Building muscles will increase your metabolism (the amount of energy your body burns at rest) AND it will change the shape of your body giving you tone and definition.
Strength training is SO important for women to aid in the prevention of osteoporosis later in life, to aid in developing safe and effective movement patterns for daily life such as lifting children out of the car, getting them in and out of the bath and to help you feel confident, strong and happy in your own body.
Take home tips –
Crunches will not take the fat from your waistline. Losing fat from here comes down to nutrition, hormones and a combination of interval and strength training.
Let go of the need to exercise for 60 minutes and the belief that more is better. Start lifting weights that challenge you, and begin some interval based training.
If you’d like some personal training to help with your health and fitness goals, get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.
Kat x
www.fit4bub.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/Fit4bub/
