Fit Friday: Strength Training

So, I thought Fit Friday was a catchy way to involve a fitness routine into this blog.  As we all know, fitness is a very important part of a healthy lifestyle.  Granted, it is also one of the hardest parts in my opinion.  Working out used to be like pulling teeth for me.  Now, I almost look forward to getting in a run a few days a week.  However, while cardio is particularly important for good cardiovascular health (imagine that), and particularly weight loss, strength training seems to get pushed under the rug.

One of the most common myths about strength training is that if a woman lifts weights, she's going to get bulky like a man does.  There are several different reasons as to why that won't happen, but probably the biggest reason is that a man's body has much more testosterone than, on average, woman's body would have.  For a woman to get bulky, she would 1) have to take some form of testosterone supplements, and 2.) train to get bulky.  By training to get bulky, I mean that the body generally won't produce the quantities of muscle mass desired for bulk in a short amount of time.  It takes men who want to bulk up a lot of hard work and gym time.

So, now that we've busted that myth, what are some of the benefits of strength training, you may ask?  For one, muscle burns more calories.  People with higher muscle mass will burn more calories sitting in front of the television than those with little to no muscle mass.  On the other side of the health spectrum, that also means that people with higher muscle mass will also burn more calories when they're working out.  More calories burned = faster weight loss results.

Toning up your muscles is another way to get a sleeker silhouette.  While eating whole foods and doing cardio training will help you obtain a slimmer physique, to really get those toned and defined abs, obliques, and glutes, strength training is the key.  While you cannot "spot reduce" weight (ie: do specific exercises to lose fat on your stomach), incorporating exercises to strengthen the surrounding muscles will help you burn more fat all-around to help you shed the extra weight.

Some of my favorite strength exercises are those that involve small weights and resistance bands.  Both of these techniques are easy to store and travel with, so that you don't have to worry about where to put them or how to carry them if you're going on a trip.  Perusing through Pinterest (one of my favorite pastimes) is where I find most of my exercises, particularly those with strength-training in mind.  Slipping on a pair of sneakers and taking a walk is a no-brainer.  I am not confident in creating my own routine for anything outside of cardio.  Down below are some of my favorite training routines.

This Routine incorporates resistance bands.  Resistance bands are GREAT because they use your own body weight to your advantage.  That way, the stronger you get, you don't need to invest in any new equipment.  Your bands will need to be replaced every now and again, but that's a relatively small investment for the sake of your health.

I am also partial to this routine because I'm trying to strengthen my body for running (hopefully I can run farther than the most-likely-eighth-mile I can run now).  Unfortunately, the link in the pin is dead, but the visual should be helpful to most.

Sidenote: I previewed this blog post, and the images are tiny. Reading it is impossible.  I will be sure to pin the exercises to my blog-specific Pinterest board for ease. xo

Another favorite (because it's really fun) is using my stability ball for different things.  I'll sit on it while watching tv, do some sit-ups on it, I've even used it to assist push-ups.  There are a variety of exercises on the World Wide Web for using stability balls, and they really help increase your stability (imagine that) and strengthen your core all-around.

What are some of your favorite strength-exercises?  Let me know in the comments below!  Also, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave a comment or message me on Facebook.

xoxo,

Rachel