A lot of people believe that if you want to lose weight, you should do more cardio and that if you wish to build muscle, it is best to lift weights. But it's not so simple. You can use weight training to lose weight, and is in fact better than cardio.
Aside from that, one thing's for sure...
Most women fail to see the benefits of weight training out of fear of building bulging muscles. This is a false impression.
In accordance with the Women’s Heart Foundation, high amounts of estrogen make it tough for women to become very muscular.
When women strength train, the changes to their muscles are usually relevant to tone, strength, and endurance instead of size.
Here are some reasons every woman should lift weights:
Controls Weight
A normal weight training program can help you maximize lean body mass and burn calories more effectively, which can contribute to healthy weight loss.
Changes Your Body Shape
You might think your genes determine your appearance. That’s not actually true. Weight lifting can slim you down, make new curves, and help prevent the “middle-age spread”.
You'll Get a Stronger Body
Training with heavy weights results in a stronger body that's less vulnerable to injury, so this means taking on daily activities that involve any form of lifting get easier.
Your Bones will Get Stronger
Bone mass starts to drop gradually with age, but women are four times more likely than men to develop osteoporosis.
Weight training increases bone density, and the National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends weight training two or three times a week to build and fortify bones.
Improves Mood
You’ve heard that cardio and low-impact exercises like yoga help enhance mood, and weight training has the similar effect. The endorphins that happen to be released during aerobic activities are also present during weight lifting.
Fights Heart Problems
Weightlifting fortifies not only your muscle mass but also your ticker. The AHA recommends that lifting weights can minimize the chances of people having another heart attack.
Bottom line is..
It's time to free yourself from the thinking that cardio equates to fat loss and weight lifting equates to building muscle and weight gain. It's just not as clear-cut as that.
While doing cardio can certainly help your fat-loss goals, in plenty of ways weight training is more efficient and will also offer you a more toned body shape.
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