Weight training, Resistance training and Strength training are terms used interchangeably.
Technically, strength training is a resistance exercise in which muscles of the body are forced to contract under tension and external resistance using weights, one’s own body weight, resistance bands, pulleys or other devices and machines in order to stimulate muscle growth, increase strength, power and endurance.
Weight training is a type of strength training that uses free weight or weight machines for resistance.
Weight Training plays a crucial role in getting you Leaner.
No Fat Loss and Weight Loss program would be complete without weight training basics. It is the number one way to re-sculpt and give shape to your body.
Most people think only of diet and cardio when they think of weight loss. They think that weight lifting is only good for gaining muscle and it is for wrestlers and bodybuilders.
It’s time to change that! Lifting is for anyone who wants to burn the fat and spike up their metabolism!
Weight training gives a metabolic boost and builds lean body mass. The more lean mass you have the more calories you burn at rest, the easier it is to lose fat.
Improvement in Body Composition (fat to muscle ratio) is far more with weight training than with cardio alone. In fact, going overboard with cardio can interfere with your strength, power and lean mass gains. However, in the right amounts cardio and weight training can produce most rapid fat loss and dramatic body transformation.
Changing your body composition with weight training will give you the lean, firm, sculpted, strong, cellulite free, solid body that you have always dreamed of.
If you lose weight through diet and cardio without weight training your body shape will stay the same. You will just end up as a smaller version of the same flabby body with stubborn fat areas still there. Most of the weight lost would be water and muscle and very less fat. You would fit into smaller size clothes but without clothes you will look very flabby because when you lose muscle you lose body shape, look soft, un-toned, skinny and unattractive. You also lower your metabolism and increase the risk of weight loss plateau.
Muscle growth occurs when muscle tissue is damaged through training with challenging weights. Your body needs a reason to change and you need to create that need through lifting weights by using some fundamental principles of overload in terms of (repetition, sets and decreased time of recovery) and progression by (overloading in a progressive manner from session to session).
Weight training stresses your body and your body adapts by getting stronger and building muscle. Muscle growth does not happen while lifting weights. Instead, it occurs when you provide adequate rest and nutrition to your body.
There is no secret to make muscles grow. Although the process is complicated, it does require commitment and consistency. But by challenging your body on a regular basis and fueling with proper nutrition, results follow.
Lifting weights is important for preventing the muscle loss that normally accompanies the aging process. Research indicates that unless you strength train regularly, you lose about one-half pound of muscle every year after the age 30. This produces a one-half percent reduction in basal metabolic rate (BMR) every year. A reduction in BMR means that your body is less able to use the food you consume as energy, thus more gets stored as body fat.
A common misconception is that as you reach the age of senior citizens, it is normal to stop being active and many people think this is normal. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
The reason many elderly people become slower and fatter is simply because over the years their muscles have been wasting away, so their physical performance and metabolism also has decreased, making them less efficient. Therefore if you do not implement a safe and effective weight training program in your life, you risk a great deal : loss of muscle tissue, declining health with increased risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, depression, lowered self esteem, lack of power to protect against falls and loss of balance.
The primary concern women have when it comes to weight training is, “I don’t want to get big or bulky.”
It is physiologically impossible for women to add a lot of muscle due to the minimal amount of testosterone (the male hormone) they naturally produce which is a just a fraction of men’s level.
Therefore instead of becoming bulky, women who lift weights become leaner, firmer, stronger and more defined over time. A small amount of lean muscle tissue will only add shape and curves to their body and make them look sexy and attractive.
The only way for women to get huge muscles is by using anabolic steroids.
Technically there are no men’s exercises and women exercises. Women can and should lift weights just like men. This is the only way women can get toned, firm, sexy body and keep the fat off. Majority of women still don’t understand the concept of training with challenging weights and keep pounding away on a treadmill.
Weight training is one of the healthiest things anyone can do – especially women.
Spotter is a person who stands by the weight lifter, encourages, supervises or spots when lif ting weight. Having a spotter nearby is particularly important when using free weights. Even someone in great shape sometimes just can't make that last rep. If you're doing biceps curls; all you'll have to do is drop the weight onto the floor. But if you're in the middle of a bench press — a chest exercise where you're lying on a bench and pushing a loaded barbell away from your chest — it's easy to become trapped under a heavy weight. A spotter can keep you from dropping the barbell onto your chest.
In the past, strength training was primarily used by athletes to enhance performance and increase muscle size.
However, research has shown that strength training is now safe, effective and critical to everyone’s health and fitness.
As you age, your muscle mass starts to naturally decrease and so does your strength. No matter what your age, any form of strength training will help to reverse that loss and also improve your physical appearance. With a properly constructed workout program that is tailored to individual goals and skills, anyone can strength train — regardless of gender, age, or ability. In fact, people with health concerns often benefit the most from an exercise program that includes lifting weights a few times each week. Everybody should strength train.
Bottom Line: Weight training should be an important part of your exercise routine. There is no other exercise mode that can give you as many amazing physical, mental and overall benefits as weight training.
Factors for weight training success are:
