Top 10 Reasons Every Women Should Lift Weights
For every woman that contacts me to lose weight, Id say that easily, 98% of you have the same concern. I want to lose weight, tone up, but I dont want to look muscular. So, against my advice, and that of anyone that knows about fitness, you will continue to be a cardio slave. Trying day and night to tone up and not trying to change your body composition. No disrespect to cardio, but the best way to blast fat and get in shape, is strength training. Heres why.
Youll Burn More Fat
Forget about that fat burning zone on your cross-trainer or treadmill. Strength training is better at helping people lose belly fat compared with cardio. While aerobic exercise burns both fat and muscle, weight lifting burns almost exclusively fat. Hours doing cardio is actually counterproductive as once you reach a certain amount of calories or energy expelled; your body will start to use up your muscle as fuel for energy. This is why the cardio bunny will never tighten up or tone up. You need muscle for tightness and aesthetics.
Burning More Calories Everyday
Just sitting here writing this article I am burning more calories than you. Yes you, the cardio bunny. Your muscle mass largely determines your resting metabolic heart rate-how many calories you burn at rest. The more muscle you have the more energy your body expends. Everything you do in your day from brushing your teeth to walking to your car, you will burn more calories- that is if you weight lift.
You Will Be Stronger Mentally
How you ask? Well by constantly challenging yourself to do things you never thought possible, your confidence grows. This will bleed over into all areas of your life. Ask any girl thats lifts weights and she will agree 100 percent. With confidence and believing you can, well, you can do anything. Weight lifting empowers you.
You will Boost your Flexibility
Now this is almost laughable as I picture a big, buff, 260lb muscle head in a yoga class. But seriously. If you lift using a full-range of motion, key word full range, you will actually improve flexibility just as well as your typical static stretching routine. Now, if you cant complete the full range-going all the way up and all the way back down, you may need to use a lighter weight and work your way back up.
Strengthening Your Bones
Not only is strength training building your muscles, it trains your bones as well. With each movement your muscles will tug on your bones. The cells within the bones react by creating new bone cells. Your bones become stronger and denser. This is especially important to help us later in life through menopause and aging. If there is osteoporosis in your family history, this is about the only preventative medicine to help yourself along with your calcium and other vitamins and minerals. Make your base strong, be strong for life.
You Will Starts Dropping Dress Sizes
A new wardrobe on the horizon is motivation enough for some. Strength training has a bad reputation of making women bulk up. But its far from the truth. The more your weight comes from muscle rather than fat, the smaller you will be. In fact, body weight often goes up with strength training, but dress size goes down by one or two sizes. But the biggest fact here is that it is REALLY REALLY difficult for a woman to get body builder huge. We simply do not produce enough testosterone as men do. This limits our muscle building potential when compared to men.
You will Ease Joint Pain
Squat low. As low as you can go. Proper form in strength training is the solution to joint aches. Stronger muscles better hold your joints in position so you wont have to worry about your kness flaring up on your next run.
Youll Be A Better Runner or Athlete
Simple. Stronger muscles mean better performance. Your core will better be able to support your bodys weight and maintain ideal form during other exercises or activities. Your arms and legs will be more powerful. And back to my earlier point, you will also be burning more calories while running or playing hockey because your muscle mass has increased and your body will need to consume more energy.
Youll have a Healthier Heart
Cardiovascular exercise is not the only way to help your heart health. Strength training with moderate rest periods in between sets can be just as beneficial. Studies have shown that even moderate intensity resistance training can decrease blood pressure by up to 20 percent. Thats as good, if not better than your average blood pressure medications.
My favorite
Because when a girls walks up to the pull up bar and reps out 10 pull ups, every ones jaw drops. Trust me.
Do u train in surrey ?
Hi do u train others ?
Yes. Email harj.parmar@gmail.com
U r my new idol. I’m Am your before pic. I really want to get started on my weight loss. I have to clue where to begin I enjoy weights hate cardio. I’m Making my entire group of friends follow u on IG. Any advice for beginners?
Thank you. You’re too kind. I do provide custom plans. Email me @ harj.parmar@gmail.com
Hi harj… Just recently followed you on instragram and I’m loving your page, can u tell me how to make the protein iced coffee please. Rash xx
Recipe on my IG 🙂
You’re an inspiration to all those hard working moms AND dads that say they cant find time to workout or eat right.
I just turned 53 and have dropped 57 lbs. since October of 2013 both cardio and weight training. Been strength training all my life but let life get the worst of me for about 3 years.
Born and raised in Canada, I’m also of Indian decent and all we as a family could afford to eat was home cooked Indian food.
Its only in my adult life, I’ve come to appreciate that it is some of the healthiest and most nutritious food one can eat.
Most supplements available today contain all of the ingredients that makes up most Asian dishes.
The cost savings is substantial.
I have several friends who will be competing in the same event as you and look forward to seeing you there.
Keep up the great work in educating so many about the nutritional value of Indian cuisine and they will soon discover that it also has a second and just as important benefit, it tastes so darn good!
Cheers,
Raj.
Hi Harj, I want to purchase one of your excersise plans. Please tell me how I can contact you.
harj.parmar@gmail.com