The Basics

The Importance of Resistance Training

Why is it important to include weight training into our workouts? Consider this scenario. Mary works out feverishly. You always see her on the StairMaster,hours on end. She looks thin and has no muscle tone. She tells you that she eats like a bird and is always counting calories. Sally also works out regularly. You notice she gets her workouts done in about an hour and includes weight training in her routine. She tells you she really doesn't count calories just watches what she eats and maintains a low-fat diet. Why is Sally's workout better?

Because Mary does a lot of aerobics and no resistance training, she cannot maintain her lean muscle mass. She looks thin and has little muscle tone. Mary doesn't include weight training in her workout, she loses lean body mass, decreasing her daily caloric requirements. She maintains her lower body strength but her workouts would benefit greatly by including resistance training in her workouts. She will gain bone mass, increase her strength and lean muscle mass in both her lower and upper body. Mary will also utilize more calories throughout the day because of these gains.

Sally includes weight training in her workouts. She has actually increased her lean muscle mass through resistance training. Sally also has good muscle tone. She watches her diet but also enjoys eating her favorites, including an occasional piece of chocolate decadence cake! She looks fit and healthy. Sally has learned that resistance training is a key element in weight management and includes it in her fitness routine. She has reached an equilibrium, the perfect balance between how many calories she takes in and how many calories she expends. This means no weight gain! Sally enjoys exercise and eating and has found a great balance between them. This is the goal you should shoot for.

Weight training increases lean body mass. The more muscle you have the higher your caloric needs. Gaining one pound of muscle burns an additional 50 calories a day. When you only do aerobics, you end up losing lean body mass and your body requires less calories to sustain itself over the course of the day. Weight training is key element to weight management. When you are on a weight loss program is is extremely important to include weight training in your fitness program. Not only will you maintain and/or increase your lean body mass(leading to an increase in overall increase in your daily caloric needs), but will add shape and definition to your shape.