Strength training is a type of exercise based on progressive resistance to achieve improved strength, power, endurance and tone. What woman wouldn’t like some more of that?
Women often avoid any type of strenuous weight lifting or weight machines, though, because they believe it is only for men. If that’s you, let me explain four reasons why everyone, women included, should strength train and include some type of weight lifting in their exercise routines.
No. 1. It is the only way to have a firm and toned body. The term “toning up” means two things: tensing muscles regularly to make them hard and dropping enough body fat for that “tone” to be seen. You simply cannot achieve an overall shapely body without appropriately targeting the major muscle groups through strength training.
Too many women still believe lifting weights will make them “bulky” and that they need to use lighter weights to “tone up.” This fear is unfounded. Building substantial muscle mass is difficult even for men to achieve naturally, and almost impossible for women. Men’s 10 times greater testosterone level helps to elevate their size potential over women, but the reality is that a sleek, firm figure that both men and women love is sculpted by muscle. A woman training very hard will not build the muscle size of a man unless she takes the hormones that he has.
No. 2. Fat loss and weight loss are not exactly the same. Weight loss on the scale measures not just fat losses but also lean body mass (water and muscle) losses. But it is the lean body mass that helps with shape and tone, as well as metabolism. The goal of weight loss should be mostly fat losses, but if you don’t strength train while on a weight loss diet at least 25% of your losses could come from lean weight and not just fat.
Unfortunately, too many still believe that long bouts of steady-state cardio (like walking, jogging, cycling, etc.) are the best way to burn calories and get the body they want. This type of exercise is OK in addition to a diet and strength training program but will rarely work to produce a strong, lean physique by itself.
One study comparing three groups who lost weight with a diet alone, with diet and cardio, or with diet, cardio and weights found that they all lost about the same 21 pounds. However, the group that added strength training to their routine lost about 25% more fat. Aerobic exercise alone was not enough to offset a loss of about five pounds of lean weight (muscle) together with about 15 pounds of fat. But the combination group which included strength training with cardio kept almost all of their muscle, so that almost all 21 pounds lost was fat. This made them smaller and leaner than the others, even though they lost the same amount of weight.
No. 3. Strength training increases calorie burn even after exercise in a process called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), commonly known as “after burn.” Intensity is the most important factor in burning calories post-workout. The harder your workout the more calories you’ll burn, even hours after your workout session.
A study by the University of Colorado found men and women burn 22% more fat in the 15 hours after resistance training than they did in an aerobic workout. Further studies at Tufts University and the University of Maryland found that strength training three times a week added about three pounds of lean weight and increased resting metabolism by about 7% a day. That’s equivalent to the calorie burn of about a one- or two-mile walk a day without doing the extra walking.
No. 4. You will feel better! Strength training can bring increased energy, reduced stress, healthier joints, improved body awareness and enhanced self-confidence. Developing the stamina to keep up with your children/grandchildren and excel at everyday activities is a priceless venture. Even having the ability to pick yourself up off the floor or bend over to pick something up with ease are life-changing improvements that all come from strength training.
If you have never learned the basics of a complete strength training program, don’t be discouraged or confused by magazines or internet fads. We’d be glad to help you. Bradley Wellness Center’s Stronger, Leaner, Every Day (SLED) program is free to all members and will get you strength training in a safe and progressive way from the very first workout. Our fitness consultants will guide you through the right exercises, teach you the proper form and help you record your workout-to-workout progress. Come and see what strength training can do. You won’t regret it.
Thomas Morrison is a fitness coordinator at the Bradley Wellness Center.