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Flex your
weight-loss muscles |
So what if you only want
to loose weight and trim down? Go right to the cardio
to burn calories and trim the fat, right?
Absolutely... although you can make even more progress
towards your goal by incorporating resistance training into
your workouts. While aerobic activities burn calories
during the exercise activity, resistance training (strength
training) exercise
will burn calories for hours after the workout. Even
while we sleep, our skeletal muscles are responsible for
more than 25% of our calorie use.
Although you don't have to
"bulk up", lean muscle mass has the added benefit of
increasing your metabolism. An increase in muscle
tissue causes a corresponding increase in our metabolic
rate. The gradual loss of muscle tissue in non-training
adults leads to a 5% reduction in metabolic rate every
decade of life. This gradual decrease in metabolism is
closely related to the gradual increase in body fat that
typically accompanies the aging process. Decreases in
metabolism and other degenerative processes can be markedly
delayed through regular strength training.
Since resistance can
come from a multitude of sources, there are a wide variety of
exercise modes that can be used for resistance training.
It's not just about pumping iron (lifting weights)... newcomers
can sometimes feel intimidated and/or awkward when jumping right
into a free-weight program. Other modes of strength
training can include: isometric exercises (muscle contraction
against stationary objects), resistance band exercises,
bodyweight exercises (push-ups, sit-ups, chin-ups), medicine
balls, sandbags, and a host of other methods that can all
contribute to accomplishing your goals.
In addition to burning calories
and increasing your metabolism, resistance training enhances
physical capacity, strength, physical appearance, body
composition, and injury prevention. The functional
benefits of resistance training can range from improved
abilities to accomplish routine tasks (ie. yard work, walking up
stairs) to enhanced athletic performance.
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Something is
better than nothing! |
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So you don't
have time to work out? Do me a favor... next
time you come home for work, get changed and just do 10
push-ups, 10 crunches, and 10 bodyweight squats. So
that only took you 1-2 minutes if you did them one after
another, right? That's less than one TV commercial!
This very basic workout was a resistance training circuit
that worked your chest, triceps, abdominals, thighs and
butt. Hey, it wasn't much, but something is surely
better than nothing. Take a day off (muscles should be
rested 48 hours after resistance training) and then do your
circuit again after work, but try to add another repetition
or so to each exercise. Continue to make little
improvements here and there, add a few new exercises, and
start to challenge yourself more each week. If you
keep procrastinating until you can bang out a solid hour in
the gym or health club, you may very well be waiting for an
extended period of time while missing all the potential
benefits and progress you could have been making.
Start training the day after yesterday!
If you can make it a priority, and incorporate fitness into
your weekly routine, it is recommended that you perform
resistance training (anaerobic) exercises 2-3 times per
week and cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise 3-5 times per week
(for 30 minutes per session).
Depending on your time availability, all 3 types of exercise
can be done on the same day and during the same exercise
workout or split on different days as time allows.
All workouts should include both a warm-up and cool-down in
addition to full body flexibility exercises.
Something IS
better than nothing... it also will typically lead to other
somethings! Motivation is something that you have to
find for yourself. Whether you want to feel better,
look better, or just be a healthier person, decide what
motivates you and use it to find the desire and
determination to succeed! |
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Elite
Bodyweight Exercise of the Month! |
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Bodyweight Squats
Summary:
The bodyweight squat is a simple exercise that
is easy to perform and can be done just about anywhere.
As you perform your first 10 or so repetitions, they still
seem easy... but as you get upwards of 50, 75, or 100
repetitions per set, you will definitely feel the burn!
A great exercise for toning and muscle endurance.
Target:
Thighs and
butt (quadriceps, gluteals)
Count: 2 count
Description: Starting
in standing position, squat all the way down pointing both
arms forward (1), return to standing position (2) . For
emphasis on your form, you can start off by placing a
basketball between your knees to keep your legs and hips in
the proper alignment.
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MS150 Bike to the
Bay |
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For the past 10
years I have participated in the National MS Society's annual
MS150 Bike Tour to help raise funds for research and local
programs. It's a small thing for me to do for people who face
the devastating and relentless effects of MS every day. With
each mile I ride, I hope to bring the National MS Society
closer to a cure. The 2006 ride is scheduled for
Saturday, September 30 and Sunday, October 1st.
Multiple
sclerosis affects lives every moment of every year. At any
time, someone with MS may suddenly be unable to stand up, hug
their child or see a friend across the room.
Will you help by sponsoring me in this year’s MS Bike Tour?
With your generous support, we can end the devastating effects
of MS, sooner rather than later.
If you are interested in participating in the Delaware MS150
Bike to the Bay this year, you can email me at
pmazzeo@todayfitness.net.
Thanks for your support!
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It's
Go Time! |
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It's all about
routine. If you have trouble getting started, don't use
the excuse of lack of time or equipment. Just do it!
Even it's only doing a few sets of push-ups, sit-ups, or
bodyweight squats... if you get into a routine of doing them
every other day or so, you will begin to realize improvements in
addition to starting to form a habit. Getting started is
half the battle, but once you take action, you will find that
it's much easier to keep it going. Make fitness a habit that you
plan to continue for the rest of your life. It is a
healthy addiction that can benefit you in many different ways.
For prior issues of this
newsletter go to
www.todayfitness.net/news.
Good Luck!
Pete
Mazzeo
pmazzeo@todayfitness.net
"A Champion is someone who gets up,
even when he can't" | |
