Do you lift weights?

A few weeks ago I talked about what type of cardio you should do when starting out on an exercise program.  This week I'm going to mention a few points about weight training. 

Do you lift weights?  I do, but I know that not a lot of women do.  Why?  For a variety of reasons but the most common is that they are scared they will look like this ...

Or you could look like this ...

Well, I can tell you right now that she does weight training!  We aren't all going to look like that .. but weight training will certainly get you a lot closer than if you did nothing!

So, why do weight training .. other than to look super fine like the gorgeous girl above ...

To feel and be strong

To build some lean muscle

You can burn more calories

Helps to change body shape

Can help reduce injury risk

To feel good!

I'll stop the list there but there many benefits to weight training.

Ok, so now I've convinced you to give it a go, here's a bit more info to get you started ...

What should you do?

* It's always a good idea to speak with a fitness professional who may be able to write a program for you.  They can run you through it and show you how to do the exercises as it is important to have great technique.  You will get better results and reduce the risk of injury.
* Start out with a basic program using machines or your own body weight
* As you progress you can start to use free weights which will get you even more results
* Why not try out a pump class at the gym.  There is an instructor guiding you through the class and you can do it at your own pace and with the weights you want.
* Better yet, get yourself some sessions with a registered Personal Trainer.  They will keep a close eye on your technique and guide you and challenge you.  You will see great results. 
How to do it ..

There are MANY different ways that you can incorporate weight training into your exercise routine but the most basic is to start out with a full body program.  This means a program that will use all the different muscle groups in your body in the one training session.  A great way to work out if you are short on time.  I can assure you that if you are doing the right training, you will get a serious workout in a short period of time!

You may also like to try a split program.  This means that you train specific body parts on different days.  There are amazing benefits with this type of training, however if you aren't one to get to the gym several days of the week, then it may not be for you.

When and  how much should you weight train?

I know everyone has a certain amount of time allocated to their training each week.  So, when and how much to include weight training is really going to be a matter of personal preference.  It will also depend on your goals.
As a minimum you should do at least one weight training session per week.  This should be your full body session.If you are wanting to get bigger and better results then you should look to increasing your training to two or three sessions per week. 

Whatever you do, it needs to fit in with you, your lifestyle, your goals and your abilities.  But what is more important is that you actually do your weight training!

Would you like it if I ran a regular post about different types of exercises .. like my exercise of the week that I use when I torture train my clients?

Let me know or if you have any questions in the comments below, I really do love to have a chat!

Fit Mum x