Some myth busting truths about why women SHOULD lift weights. But steering clear of lifting anything heavier than your hair dryer is a big mistake: Strength is an often-overlooked component of physical health, says Alexander Koch, Ph.D., an associate professor of exercise science at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Lifting weights is excellent for improving bone density, joint mobility, and body composition. Not to mention that daily tasks such as lugging groceries, moving furniture, and climbing stairs become easier. And the benefits dont end there. Physical strength begets mental strength, says Jill Coleman, former figure competitor and cofounder of the fat-loss company Metabolic Effect based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Finishing a tough weight-training session makes you feel like you can take on the world. In addition to all of that, lifting weights could be the ticket to achieving the slim, tight body you desire, since strength training boosts lean muscle mass and fires up your metabolism. Still not convinced? Read on as we bust four common muscle myths and show you the way to a smokin body. Muscle Myth # 1: LIFTING HEAVY MAKES YOU BULKY. The fear that one will suddenly grow large amounts of muscle from lifting weights is akin to worrying youll be involuntarily drafted by the WNBA if you shoot a few hoops at the Y, says Koch. It just wont happen. According to Koch, women have testosterone levels that are about 15 to 20 times lower than those of men—hormonally speaking, we are just not likely to get jacked. Furthermore, that bulky look is usually the result of adding muscle without monitoring your diet or burning fat, says Coleman. You need to burn fat as well as build muscle to lose inches. People look more defined when they have less fat on top of their muscles. Muscle Myth # 2: MUSCLE CAN TURN INTO FAT. These are two totally different types of tissue, so even if you slack off, that hard-earned muscle wont turn into fat. With lack of use, muscle cells atrophy. If they shrink to a certain size, they undergo apoptosis, says Koch. (Read: They die.) Thats not to say theres not a relationship: If you lose muscle mass, youll burn fewer calories per day. If your calorie intake remains the same, the excess food energy that is not burned can be stored as fat. Muscle Myth # 3: CARDIO BURNS MORE FAT. I still get clients who think they need to do extra cardio to drop the weight first, before they start lifting, says Valerie Waters, a Los Angeles celebrity trainer. But if you want to get hot in a hurry, head straight to the weight room. Lifting weights increases the baseline number of calories you burn each day. Muscle tissue is the most metabolically active tissue in our bodies, so the more muscle you have, the more energy you expend just to keep living, says Koch. Its a small boost, but youre burning more calories, even at rest. Thats a win. Myth # 4: LIFTING WILL MAKE YOU GAIN WEIGHT. Its not so much a myth as a misunderstood truth. Leaner and lighter are not interchangeable terms; that means the scale may not tip much and may even go up, says Chad Landers, owner of PUSH Private Fitness in Toluca Lake, California. Make no mistake: The physical results can be dramatic. The more muscle Ive gained, the smaller and more compact Ive gotten, says The Young and the Restless actress Camryn Grimes, who entered her first power-lifting meet in early 2013. My jeans are looser, and Ive gone from a medium top to a small. Landerss top advice to new clients: Stay off the scale and use your jeans to measure your progress.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Feb 2014 08:56:23 +0000
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