WHAT IS SMART EXERCISE?
If you’re a woman with a goal to reduce body fat and tone up, this guide will help you understand why strength training is a smart exercise choice for you.
Smart exercise means you apply the most effective exercises and training formats so you achieve your health and fitness goals. When you exercise smarter, you get the most benefit from the time you put in. In other words, when you exercise smarter, you get the biggest bang for your buck.
If you’re time poor, the best part is that when you exercise smarter, you will actually reduce the time spent exercising and achieve better results, fast. Who wouldn’t want that? So if you’re ready to stop wasting time and try something new, read on.
BIGGEST MISTAKES WOMEN MAKE
Many women exercise with an overall goal to reduce body fat and tone up. However, most women spend their time doing the wrong types of exercise. This is usually because they don’t understand the role that muscle mass and overall body composition plays in the fat-loss equation.
Many women shy away from strength training due to a fear of looking big and bulky. Instead, they dedicate their time to copious amounts of cardio exercise. While cardiovascular exercise will improve your general fitness, it doesn’t alter body composition. Your cardio workouts might feel intense and work up a decent sweat, but they are doing little to build and tone muscle.
STRENGTH TRAINING AND BODY COMPOSITION
Strength training is smart exercise because it changes your body composition. Strength training builds muscle which boosts your metabolism so you burn more energy 24/7. This makes strength training the smart choice for not only achieving a lean toned physique, but also maintaining it, for life.
Dr Michael Colgan is a world-renowned athletic performance coach and expert in the inhibition of ageing. His favoured functional strength exercises form the foundation of the strength programs offered at The Phoenix Tribe. Dr Colgan discusses many other reasons strength training is essential for both fat loss and healthy ageing in this article.
MORE BENEFITS OF STRENGTH TRAINING
Strength training grows bone. Studies show that mature-aged women placed on a one-year strength training program increased their strength by 19-29% with a concomitant increase in bone density.
Strength training improves immunity. Immune strength depends on availability of the amino acid glutamine, and your muscles have to supply the glutamine to your immune system in order for it to work.
Strength training combats diabetes. Studies show that strength training improves glucose tolerance in patients with Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes.
Strength training improves arthritis. In studies where patients with rheumatoid arthritis were given 12 weeks of high-intensity strength training, results showed a significant decline in arthritis activity and a big gain in strength.
