Don’t forget the weights

08/01/2009 by admin.

Many people make the  mistake of doing purely cardiovascular exercises like running, rowing and the cross trainer etc as opposed to weights.  The key reasons that people don’t do weights is either they don’t want to bulk up or they don’t want to be heavier than than are.

However, aerobic only activity will do little to improve muscle tone and certainly won’t tone the areas you don’t work.  For instance if you only run, not much is going to happen to your upper body. 

So, I hear you ask, what is good about using weights.  Firstly, by adding toned muscle (and this doesn’t have to be bulky muscle), this will automatically speed up your metabolic rate so you will be burning calories, even when not exercising.  Great huh.

Weight training helps to maintain your ideal body weight.   Don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of cardio, it will burn more calories during the activity itself and if you have a hard workout so you are breathing heavy, you will burn calories following the activity.

So what’s the answer I hear you ask.  The answer is do both.  You don’t have to spend hours in the gym though.  A 45 minute session will do you plenty of good if done correctly.

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