Sure, getting your cardio in is an excellent routine for a healthy lifestyle. But, if that’s all you’re doing, your body (mainly those muscles and bones of yours) may be under attack. In other words, if you’re not incorporating a strength training program to your weekly workouts, you’re losing muscle, diminishing bone strength and may find it harder to maintain the weight you’ve dropped. Read on to learn the importance of getting your strength on—with a few strength training workouts a week (it’s just as important for women to do, as well as men!)
Shed with Strength
If your main goal is to shed some pounds, don’t stick to a cardio-exclusive plan. While cardio workouts are important for raising your heart rate, increasing muscle is what tightens, tones and creates a fit physique. Would you rather shed a bunch of weight and look slender but without any definition?
Or, would you rather have a slender, strong and tight body from head to toe? Whether you use the resistance of your own body weight with exercises like squats, lunges, push-ups, pull-ups and crunches, or strength training, which uses the weight of machines such as the chest press, leg press and bicep curls, you’ll become the healthier, strong and empowered version of yourself that you long to be.
You’ll Lose Weight in a Shorter Period of Time
Ladies, listen: you won’t ‘bulk up’ or ‘get big’ if you head to the weight room and power through chest presses or bicep curls. What you will get is definition and super woman strength, allowing you to lose weight more efficiently—and best of all, keep it off. Here’s why: the more muscle you have, the more fat you’ll end up burning.
So, when you incorporate three strength training sessions a week to your exercise plan, you’re not just getting strong—you’re getting lean muscle that your body has to expend energy rebuilding—which equals to a revved-up metabolism…which means your burn more calories (according to studies, 15 percent more calories than just doing cardio alone!) That sculpted look (like amazing abs, or toned ‘Beyoncé-worthy’ thighs you want) is much easier achieved with strength training than cardio alone.
No matter what your weight loss or fitness goal may be, strength training offers you amazing, metabolism boosting, strength boosting, AND energy boosting advantages that are unlike any other workout. Just three times a week, and you’ll have an incredible body you can be proud of.
