Walk into any gym, especially
during those busy early morning or early evening hours, and you’ll see the
cardio equipment in full use. Every machine will be
occupied. Some gyms even have a sign-up sheet for treadmills
during these hours, ensuring everyone has access. And while this
section of the gym is filled with people vying for their chance on a treadmill,
the weight area has equipment available, sitting, unused, waiting for someone
to come put it to use.
Is
all this time on the treadmill really the best thing to be doing? For fat
loss?
No.
It is not. Strength Training is.
Women
overlook the dude-dominated weights area. If they do strength training,
they usually limit themselves to machines. They don’t venture into
the free weights area, except to maybe grab a 10 lb dumbbell once in a
while. The free weight area is where most women will get the greatest
benefits, but women are literally afraid to go there.
What
are they missing out on? Why should any self-respecting, distance running
or biking female wander into the testosterone zone?
1) Burn
Fat and Raise Metabolism. Strength training does not burn as many calories in a
single session as does cardio, but it has fat-burning effects which make it even
more important. Namely, lifting weights to lose fat
halts the loss of lean body mass (a proven side effect of weight loss
due to diet alone or diet plus cardio) which is directly tied
to your metabolism. Lean mass, which is composed of our bones, tendons,
muscles, organs and everything NOT fat, is directly related to your metabolic
rate. The more lean mass you have, the "faster" your metabolism.
Strength training increased your lean mass in two known ways:
increasing bone density and increasing muscle mass. Muscle burns about
7-10 calories per pound per day; fat burns 2-3 calories per pound per day.
Strength
training studies repeatedly show gains in lean
mass occurring simultaneously with fat loss. The net effect is
a leaner physique composed of less fat and more metabolism-boosting lean mass.
Cardio
is good, but strength training is better. Look at the following study, as
described on exrx.com:
Wayne Westcott, Ph.D. conducted a study in which 72 over weight
individuals participated in an eight week exercise program. The participants
were placed in two groups. The first group performed 30 minutes of endurance
exercise on a stationary cycle. The second group performed only 15 minutes of
exercise on the stationary cycle plus an additional 15 minutes on weight
resistant exercises. At the conclusion of the study, the "endurance
only" group lost a total of 3.5 lbs.; 3 lbs. of which was fat and a half
pound was muscle loss. On the other hand, the "endurance and weight
resistive" group lost 8 lbs. with an actual fat loss of 10 lbs. and an
increase of 2 lbs. of lean body weight.
|
(8
week program, 72 over weight individuals)
|
||
|
Endurance
Training (30
min)
|
Endurance (15 min) & Weight
Training (15 min)
|
|
|
Weight Change (lbs)
|
-3.5
|
-8
|
|
Fat Change (lbs)
|
-3
|
-10
|
|
Lean mass
Change (lbs)
|
-0.5
|
2
|
Westcott, W., Fitness Management. Nov., 1991.
Do
you see the difference? Greater total weight loss, greater total fat
loss, AND in improvement in lean body mass. The addition of strength
training seriously RAMPS UP the fat loss results from exercise. Cardio
alone actually reduced lean mass, slowing metabolism. Who wants a slower
metabolism?
Another
study, reported in the Journal of American College Nutrition, also compared resistance
training with aerobic training. Both groups were placed on a very low
800-calorie/day diet. At the end of the study, they found that the
resistance training group lost significantly more fat (though the cardio group
lost more total weight) and didn't lose any lean body mass (the cardio group
lost a "significant" amount). Moreover, the resting metabolic
rate increased for the strength training group; it decreased for the cardio
group. Like I said, who wants a slower metabolism?
Improving
lean body mass and reducing fat is our goal, right?
One
very special aspect of Strength Training is its effect on
Exercise-Post-Oxygen-Consumption (EPOC), also known as afterburn.
This is a super-cool effect that strength training has on our bodies,
effectively raising metabolism for up to 48 hours after a
workout. 48 Hours – that’s two entire days! That means that, even
when you’re sleeping after your workout, you’re still burning more calories
than you would have otherwise. The effect isn't gender-specific; a study
published in the Journal of Sport Nutrition and
Exercise Metabolism in 2000 showed that this effect hold true
for women as well as men; intense resistance training produces a prolonged
elevation of a post-exercise metabolic rate.
3) Build
the body you want. Most women have a fear of becoming big and bulky if they challenge
themselves with weights. The simple truth is that it is very hard to
put on substantial muscle. This is why men spend years in the gym
and idolize Arnold Schwarzenegger (before he became a governor, anyway.)
It is very hard to achieve uber-hulky results without the use of
steroids. Women simply do not have the necessary amount of testosterone
to build monster muscles.
Strength
training reshapes your body in a very good way. Because a good
strength training program will incorporate all major muscle groups, it is
reasonable to expect the following results:
- A
flatter tummy.
- Improved arm
tone.
- Broader
looking shoulders (which help your purse and sundress straps to stay up
and proportionally make hips look smaller.)
- More shapely
legs.
- A rounder
and lifted derriere. No more pancake butt!
Keep
in mind that a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat (about a
third less.) You can build muscle and still get smaller and more shapely
while you do it. This is win-win-win!
Still
don’t believe me about not bulking up? Here are some links
to some before and after photos of people who strength train. Are
they big and bulky? Which one of their pictures looks more like you want
to look?
And
here is a blog by a former National Bikini Competitor, aspiring
powerlifter and fitness coach, Jen Comas Keck. Everyone in this
entry lifts weights, heavy ones – and are any of these girls
big and bulky? (The below pictures came from: http://www.jencomaskeck.com/2012/06/what-do-you-eat-peek-into-diets-of-some.html )
See
what I mean?
4) Become
motivated and empowered. As you get stronger, you feel better about yourself. As you
track your progress in your workouts, every increase in what you can lift is a
little win. Those wins add up and keep you coming back.
The
positive changes in your body make you more confident in general and the
strength gains make you more confident about what you can take on. You
can change the water bottle on the cooler at work. You can carry the 50
lb bag of dog food without help. You can do things that, once-upon-a-time,
you thought you needed a man for.
You
begin to discover of what awesomeness you’re really made. You will find you can
do things that you never imagined.
5) Prevent
injury and disease. Strength training help develop flexibility and mobility, making
natural body movements easier. In your daily life, you’re stronger and
more capable, making injuries from daily life less likely. It is
documented and well known that, because of its ability to increase bone
density, strength training will prevent and even reverse
osteopenia, the precursor to osteoporosis. And a study by the
American Heart Association found strength training as an effective means to lower blood pressure.
It's time to take back the
weights area, ladies! Now that you're ready to
charge in and ignore the meatheads admiring themselves in the mirror as they do
their bicep curls, what are you going to do when you get there? You
should have a plan. At the end of this post, I have links to different
books by experienced strength coachs; they're all good. And if you're not
yet convinced (or you like listening to the choir), check out the below
articles from some awesome and beautiful badass women:
Jen
Comas Keck: http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/strongher-university-the-female-psyche/
Suggested
Programs:
And
just to get you started, check out this blog post from Nia Shanks: http://www.niashanks.com/2011/12/11-beginner-strength-training-tips-women/
Happy
Lifting!
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