Weight Training and Resistance Training For Fast Weight Loss and Osteoporosis Prevention

Weight Training and Resistance Training For Fast Weight Loss and Osteoporosis Prevention

BSN NO-Xplode Amplify Mental Focus, Performance, Strength, & Training Intensity! BUY IT NOW

Weight Training and Resistance Training For Fast Weight Loss and Osteoporosis Prevention

Dr. Earl Mindell's Wellness Update

What about weight training and other forms of resistance training? Earlier recommendations were clear on the importance of resistance exercise, both for weight loss and for osteoporosis prevention. Muscle uses up more energy than fat even when you're sitting still. It follows that the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you're going to burn when you're sitting around doing nothing. In other words, greater muscle mass increases your basal metabolic rate (BMR).

This is definitely true, but let's be realistic about how much the time you spend pumping iron is really going to pay off in the form of weight loss, improved health, and longer life. The average person isn't physically able to put on very much extra muscle weight-maybe two or three pounds-and doing so gets harder with age. Women have an especially difficult time putting on muscle weight. Besides, most women I've encountered don't want to bulk up-they want to "sculpt" and slim down. And no amount of resistance training is going to sculpt a body that is padded all over with excess fat. The washboard abs and the perfect posterior are underneath the fat, and fat has to be shed before they'll show through.

Unless you're truly interested in bulking up or are in need of improved muscular power for a sport or injury recovery, use resistance training as part of your aerobic workout. Try circuit training, where you do 12 to 16 repetitions of each of several exercises at a low resistance. Immediately move on to another exercise that uses different muscle groups. This will keep your heart rate at or near target range, and will help to keep your whole body strong and flexible. Make this part of your 60 minutes of exercise two to three times a week. You can do this even if you don't have a gym membership or a set of weights; do exercises that utilize body weight as resistance, such as push-ups (use the wall if your arms aren't strong enough to do the traditional kind), lunges, squats (put your back against a wall and step your heels about 18 inches from the wall and bend your knees until they've reached 90 degrees, keeping your weight back so that you're fully leaning back onto the wall, then straighten your legs again), and stomach crunches. Hire a trainer for a few sessions if you feel lost when trying to do these sorts of exercises.

You should stretch every time you exercise. Two or three minutes spent stretching major muscle groups should serve to keep you limber and free of injury. Practice deep breathing and relaxation during stretching sessions.

Take Care,

www.bestbodyever.com

Back To Best Body Ever's Main Page

Back to Weight Loss Database

Back to General Health Database

Back to Writers Database

Back to EZINE Database

Visitor Reviews Of This Article!

Read Visitor Reviews - Write Your Own Review

Related Pages:

BodybuildingPro.com HomePage > Latest Site Updates! > FREE EZINE!

BodybuildingPro.com HomePage > General Health

BodybuildingPro.com HomePage > Articles By Writer > Articles By www.bestbodyever.com

Supplement Links!

Links!

Optimum 100% Whey Protein Optimum 100% Whey is still number one, and sales are climbing! Whey protein has been proven to be the best type of protein for building quality muscle fast. Optimum did us all a favor by making a whey protein product that tastes awesome, actually mixes easily, and is cheap enough for everybody to afford. BUY IT NOW

E-Mail: Webmaster@BodybuildingPro.com