Ok, so this morning while waiting to go to the gym I have been doing some research and reading and I am PUMPED! Since I have fitness on the brain I thought it would be a good time to write and share some insight. Yesterday I decided I needed a change of pace and went to the gym to do some weight training. I started with some leg presses since your quad is one of your biggest muscles in your body you are going to get more calorie burn out of working it versus a smaller muscle like your triceps. I was impressed with the stamina I had built since my last trip to that machine and decided I would keep pressing and upping my weight until I was so sore I couldn't move. I continued this through out a few other machines and then switched to some functional training such as squats, kettle ball swings, and box jumps. The point of me telling you all of this is because I was smoked! 45 minutes and I was drenched in sweat and woke up sore for the first time in weeks.
For years if I went to the gym I would bee line to the elliptical or treadmill, which are fine for a little warm up or cardio, but I started to realize after using these machines for extensive times i would plateau. It makes plenty of sense if you think about it. Cardio gets your heart rate and helps you burn calories, but sometimes you can get your heart rate up so high you are burning calories and end up burning muscle. Burning muscle delays fat burn and hinders you from seeing any progress. Muscle burns fat so the stronger the muscle the more fat it is able to burn.
One form of training I also recommend is functional training. Crossfit and some core movements are great examples of this. For instance we squat and pick up things and reach and put stuff up all day long so when you put these movements into your work out with weights or bands you are training your body to do things with more power and strength behind the movement for more calorie burn in your everyday life. For example when you bend to pick up toys, squat with your legs instead of bending with your back. Make the most of each movement each day. Park a little farther from the store and jog or walk fast to the entrance, take the stairs instead of the elevator or go outside and play with the kids for a bit instead of switching on the tv for them. Every bit of energy used is more calorie burn and more muscle toning opportunity.
Another thing I do not think women understand is the importance and difference of supplements. As soon as you finish working out your body needs the protein to replenish and repair your muscles. The recovery formula is going to help your muscles work longer and harder after a work out. Believe it or not the few hours after your work out are what makes the bigger difference then the actual work out. A work out involving muscle building and weights will keep your body working up to three days after that initial 30-45 minutes, where as a cardio work out often stops as soon as your heart rate is brought back down.
We as women do not give our selves enough credit, we are STRONG and we need to show that! Until next time - Amanda
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