While most women know that we need to exercise and eat right to lose weight, most don?t realize how important weight training is to shedding body fat. Weight training is a critical component of successful weight reduction, but for women, in particular, it can also be crucial in preserving bone mass. If you?re serious about finally seeing some significant weight loss, here are a few pointers to help get you started:
Add as little as 10 minutes of dumb bell work to your exercise program 3 times a week, and boost your metabolism quickly. One of my favorite upper body combinations is the overhead press, frontal raise, and the lateral raise. Perform 12 repetitions of each exercise back to back (no rest period), take a quick 10 second break, and perform your second set. For those just getting started in weight training, 2 or 3 pound weights are going to feel like 10 pound weights by the time you finish your second set.
Find a facility with qualified staff to help you, or find a good program on television that you can follow along with. Working with a professional trainer first ensures you are using good form, and can help prevent injury.
Be prepared to change your weight training program at least once a month. This prevents boredom, and keeps your muscles moving forward.
While cardio-aerobic exercise burns calories, the burn usually stops when we do. To fire up the metabolism, we need lean muscle, and to achieve a dense level of fat burning, calorie consuming lean muscle, we need to utilize light weight training. Unfortunately, the majority of women who are most in need of light weight training are too intimidated to go to a gym, and most "women only" facilities do not have weight training facilities. Fortunately, there is a new "women only" fitness movement that is changing the way women exercise: women only fitness and weight loss facilities such as the Isis Fitness Center, headquartered in Traverse City, Michigan, offer women weight training, personal training, yoga, Pilates, Weight loss Boot Camps, military style Basic Training classes, Aerobics classes, etc., in addition to the traditional 30 minute fitness format, and all in a safe, women only environment, allowing women a fuller, higher quality exercise experience. Hopefully, this trend will continue.
