Get Started with Strength Training
So you try to walk a little every day and eat healthy. You’ve covered all the bases when it comes to diet and exercise, right? Not necessarily. If you’re not including strength or resistance training in your routine, you could be missing out on a vital component of good health.
Why is strength training so important?
Physical fitness is a bit like a kitchen table — all four legs are necessary to keep it balanced. In addition to cardiovascular exercise, power/speed work, and flexibility, you need the fourth leg — muscle strength — to balance out your fitness program. Muscle building helps you avoid injury by strengthening joints and improving bone density. It also improves balance and posture, making it easier to do everyday tasks like carrying groceries or tossing the football around with your family. Finally, more muscle mass revs up your metabolism, which helps you work toward your ideal weight and helps promote a youthful appearance as you age.
Strength training becomes increasingly important the older you get. Studies show that your metabolism tends to slow down by about 5% for every decade past the age of 40. If you’ve reached 40 and noticed that your metabolism seems to have slowed — and your weight is starting to creep upward — decreased muscle mass could potentially be the culprit.
Tips for starting a routine…and sticking with it
Starting a strength-training routine doesn’t have to be complicated. You just need to commit some time and energy to practicing each week. Try to be consistent; even if you only do it once a week for an hour, keep up that routine. After a few weeks you might want to mix some different exercises into your routine to keep your muscles challenged.
When you’re starting out, try for two 20- to 60-minute sessions per week, including all the major muscle groups and working upper body in one session and lower body the next. Always wait 48 hours before working the same muscle group again.
Lifting weights is the most effective way to increase strength. But if you can’t join a gym, don’t throw in the towel. You can do effective resistance training at home. Try push-ups, leg lifts, abdominal crunches, lunges, and squats. When you’re ready to increase the challenge, add small hand weights, barbells, resistance bands, or a medicine ball.
Also, if you’re new to strength training, start out slow. Try two sets of 10 reps each, resting in between each set for 30 to 60 seconds. You can always increase a weight if it feels too easy. But the first rule of thumb is to practice good form. Perform each rep slowly and carefully. If the weight is too heavy and your form falters, drop some weight. Using weights that are too heavy only risks injury, so build up gradually.
Get outside help
Finally, if you feel overwhelmed, you might want to get some help from an expert. Hiring a personal trainer to help you set up a strength-training program can be one of the best investments you make in your health. A personal trainer will help you set up your gym or home routine, making sure you’re using proper form and hitting all the major muscle groups. Even one session could be the boost you need to get started. Another option could be to purchase a fitness video to help you learn the basic weight-training exercises.
Whether you work out at home or go to the gym, don’t wait to get started on your strength-training routine. By building muscle, you’ll be able to enjoy the activities you love — and be on the way to a healthier and happier life.
Always consult a physician before starting any exercise routine.
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JDuds, How can I get a abs like yours? ok, well not exactly like urs but u know what I mean :D
I started working out with weights on my lunch hour! It has been great! I used to work out at a gym with weights religiously, but since moving to sunny San Diego, I have been too tempted by the great outdoors to spend too much time in a gym. Going to the gym in our building at lunch is the perfect answer – I go two to three times a week and have been loving getting back into it!
I am on a YMCA and my high school swim team an have been swimming for 3 hours, twice a day for the past 6 years. I always thought I was doing as much exercise as I needed, but this past year, I started weight training with one of my friends, and not only did it improve my swimming times, but it also really improved my body.
There are many ways to make the perfect workout. Four day split routines work the best! Monday-chest, biceps, abs. Tues-Quads glutes and calves, Wed-shoulders triceps and abs, Take thurs off! Friday you’ll hit your back, hams, abs AND calves. Make sure your doing cardio up to three times a week! Always remember HARD intense cardio burns 300% more bodyfat than moderate!! So if you hit the treadmill or the bike do 1 minute intervals of hard sprinting then recover with 30 seconds to a minute back to moderate!
I love Cathe Freidrick’s workouts on Fit TV! I eat a clean diet a few days a week and healthy on the rest of them, saving the cravings for holidays and special occasions. Consequently, leading up to the holidays I find myself thinking of the not so healthy things I’m gonna eat when they come, but once they get here I find myself unable to put all that junk into my body; so I end up just baking a cake using whole grain flour, sending half of it home with family members, and snacking on the rest for a few days. It really works for me!
I’m in the best shape of my life!
I am getting back to my workout routine consisting of an Aerobic workout, weights and some power walking on different days during each week! This along with continued healthy eating should show some results—looking forward to it!
I try to hit the gym 3 times a week(I live in the country)but I do ride my bicycle 4 times a week, and 20 minute workout dvd with my teenager!!
Here is a good strength training routine for beginners:
http://newbie-fitness.blogspot.com/2007/01/stripped-5×5.html
Believe me when I say women can benefit from strength training with free weights (that means barbells, you won’t need those frilly pink dumbbells with this program). Make sure you eat a good diet with lots of protein to help to recover and build muscles (about .8-1g/lb of body fat per day).
What do you think we would benefit more from: Strength training your arms or legs? Legs, we will be less likey to have hip injuries when we are old foggies. My main focus @ the gym is working out my legs. Of course I tone my arms and keep them strong as well, but nothing beats that strong feeling I get in my legs during and after I do my leg workouts.
Strength training is an activity that all people can benefit from – male and female, young and old. As hinted by Dana, muscular strength is the single most important aspect to health as one gets older. You’d be surprised how many individuals in nursing homes lack the strength to raise their arms to feed themselves or sit up from being on the toilet. It is the key to remaining fully functional and capable of leading an independent life throughout the years.
I started this new routine in Jan 2009 and lost several pounds of body fat and added muscle to my 5’11” frame. My workout consists of 5-6 days a week doing one body part a day and it works out just fine for me at just 45-60 mins for each workout.
sexyfitbuff i have to comment and say that you look amazing i saw ur pic and thought u were in ur late 20s early 30s anyways ive started a failure exercise routine i do upper body first then lower and always finish on abs no matter what water water water is my best friend good luck everybody!!!!!!!!!!!
my family has a membership to the ymca and it’s only 2 blocks from my house…maybe now is the time i get up and do something instead of always talking about it. i refuse to buy bigger clothing!
Strength training makes all the difference. It is wise to research a bit before you begin – as you don’t want to injure yourself or start out lifting too much. However, once you start – it is a great way to feel good about yourself. The mental and physical rewards are fantastic! I would rather weigh more, but be more toned and look great and take up less space in my clothes. As I daily try to remember, just be “in the moment,” and don’t expect too much too soon. Consistency is key and use good form. As someone else said….....it helps with other things in life that you do, even expands to cardio and you just become stronger. Good luck with your workouts, one and all.
I started strength training last December. At first, I didn’t want to gain weight even if it was muscle. After 9 months of lifting weight, I haven’t put on any pounds and my clothes fit much better. I could not be happier with the results. My cardio workouts are stronger. The strains and pains from running, biking or elliptical are minimal.
I highly recommend lifting weights and strengthening your body. Plus, it adds something new to the same old fitness routine.
I have resorted to using ‘slow-rep’ routines to avoid tendinitis and other chronic injuries. So far, so good. I’m sure I’ll have to cycle in other methods, but I am amazed at how hard lifting a lot less weight can be. This and yoga should keep me fit and flexible.
I have hit the dreaded plateu..So now I am concentrating on the food part of my weightloss program. I am already doing circut training 3 times a week. Cardio and abs two times aweeks and Ju Juitsu once a week…..
Ready or not here I come.
My cardiac fitness has greatly improved over the last two years, mainly from 1/2 to 3/4 hour daily walks, 365 days of the year, but I have also not lost the weight I wanted, so I am stepping up my activity levels, getting more continuous hours of sleep (from 6 to 7 hours), and refining my diet by eating less sugars. I am a “chocoholic,” and have worked hard to reduce my consumption of that marvelous bean. I need to continue at my reduced level. One thing I have resumed is my hatha yoga practices, including daily stretching positions and beginning my Sun Salutation again. I have practiced TM since 1974, which has added greatly to my heath, but have gotten away from the healthy exercise part of TM. The Sun Salutation will help.
I’m going to give this a try!