Strength training is a great way to lose weight and tone up, but most people don't know how to do it properly. If you're wondering how to strength train for weight loss, this article will help! Blog post-intro paragraph: Strength training is an essential part of any good health regimen – but why? Find out what the benefits are of adding strength training into your workout routine with this list.
1. It will help you reach your weight loss goals faster When combined with a good cardio workout, strength training can ensure that you're losing fat and not just muscle.
2. Strength Training helps prevent osteoporosis According to the Mayo Clinic, “weight-bearing exercise stimulates bone growth and reduces the risk of osteoporosis” – making it a great activity for prevention or treatment.
3. It burns calories while building lean muscle mass One pound of lean muscle mass is about 3500 calories! Building this type of tissue also boosts your metabolic rate, meaning that you'll burn more calories throughout the day when you add strength training into your routine.
4. You recover from workouts faster If you've ever felt sore after a workout, you've experienced delayed onset muscle soreness. The soreness comes from small tears in the muscles that are quickly repaired by your body, leading to stronger muscles.
5. It improves your balance Strength training can improve your balance and coordination, which is especially important as you get older.
6. Decreases the risk of injury According to the American Council on Exercise, “resistance exercise can help reduce chronic pain conditions resulting from sudden or overuse injuries”.
How to strength train for weight loss
So now that you know why strength training is so important, let's talk about how to do it! Here are some tips for women, especially older women who may be new to strength training:
1. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
When you work out, make sure to dress in clothing that is not restrictive or uncomfortable. If your favorite pants are digging into your waist or hips, it's better to wear different ones while exercising rather than risk injury. Make sure to bring a pair of sneakers with good arch support and thick socks (the thicker the sock, the less likely you'll get blisters).
2. Work up gradually.
Work up slowly by starting with light weights and low repetitions when you begin strength training exercise. You can start with bodyweight resistance exercises such as squats, lunges, and push-ups before progressing on to more advanced workouts such as Pilates, yoga, spinning, or working with free weights.
3. Warm-up before you start to exercise.
Strength training exercises are great at strengthening your muscles, but they can cause muscle strain if you don't warm up first. It's best to start with low-level cardio activity for 5 minutes, maybe walking or cycling on a stationary bike, before moving into your strength training workout.
4. Stretch after your strength training workout As with warming up before exercise, it's important to stretch out afterward as well. Stretching helps lengthen and relax the muscles that have been strengthened during your workout, preventing injury.
5. Eat well and be patient.
Remember that building lean muscle takes time! If weight loss is one of your goals as you're starting in strength training, then do not expect to lose large amounts of weight quickly. While muscle is denser than fat (meaning it takes up less space), adding lean tissue is a slow process.
6. Eating well helps your strength training routine.
Having a healthy, nutritious diet can help you with all sorts of things – from building lean muscle during workouts to burning fat and losing weight! A good diet will support your body in what you're doing, and that means that the progress and results you see in your activities will be much faster and better than if you were just eating junk food.
8. Keep busy.
It's very easy when we're trying to develop new positive habits such as strength training to fall back on old, bad habits. And it's not your fault – our brains are wired for routine and if there's no immediate negative consequence from skipping the gym or eating chocolate cake for dinner, then you'll probably do exactly that. One way to help prevent this is by keeping busy. Instead of thinking about which great new show to binge-watch on Netflix, make a plan of what you're going to do at the gym instead. Maybe spend an hour reading a book after your workout?
9. Reward yourself.
Treating yourself after completing a tough strength training session or sticking to your diet is a great way to develop good habits. It doesn't have to be anything big – a small ice cream cone after you've been working out or an hour of watching your favorite show are great options for rewards.
11. Stay committed.
Remember that the key to success is being committed. Set some kind of goal with yourself, whether it be a certain amount of strength training sessions per week or sticking to your diet plan so that you have something to work towards.
The article has provided you with a step-by-step guide on how to lose weight for women over 40. You can follow the steps from the beginning of this post, or pick and choose what will work best for your lifestyle. Be sure to set realistic goals along the way so that you know when it’s time to celebrate! I hope these tips have helped give you an idea about what strength training is all about and how it can help you get back into shape after age 40.
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