Do I HAVE to??

BeautifulScarsWECHANGED

Ok friends, I keep hearing how important it is to strength train. Why?? What is your routine? What are the basics? There's always a bunch of testosterone hanging out on the machines at the gym, so it's intimidating. I love running, but I guess I need to mix in the strength training too? Will it help me bust through the plateau I've been stuck on for months??

Am I asking too many quesitons?? :laugh:

Alysgrma

Bump I am wondering the same things

midonhau

Strength training helps u to build muscles and muscles help u to burn more calories, hence u'll lose weight a little faster while getting toned ;0)

mandijo

I asked the same question to a trainer at my gym. He said that building muscle is important because the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn when you exercise. It also is a boost to your metabolism?? I may be wrong and I'm no expert, but those were a few reasons. The calories one is what I wanted to hear the most. I had that trainer show me the ropes with their basic 8 strength training machines. He helped me find the weights and reps I should be doing on each. He formulated a small plan for me to follow. I try to do it 2x a week. I still focus mostly on cardio, because I really want to burn off those calories. We'll see once how it goes after I've done it for awhile. It has increased my muscle, however so that is good.

emersoam

If you have that many questions...you TOTALLY need to buy a few personal training sessions, get a subscription to Oxygen magazine, and/or do some serious research online. Strength training is REALLY IMPORTANT for everyone, but you do need to learn proper exercises and proper technique (or you can hurt yourself).

edorice

Many women lose weight without weight training. Towards the end of their weight loss journey they look in the mirror and can't tell any difference. They still have stomachs hanging out, bat wings, and thunder thighs. They wonder, what was the point of losing the weight. Strength training makes you firmer. Muscle is dense, fat is fluffy. To ward off the fluffy you must strength train.

Just this morning two of my female coworkers had to help each other lift a water bottle in the breakroom. Sure, I could have done it, but I figured I'd let them get their workout in for the day. I prefer to be able to lift a water bottle, than to require help. The choice is yours.

ZebraHead

^all the above plus all weight loss on it's own cost you some lean muscle in that weight loss. You not only lose fat, but also muscle.

chanstriste13

strength training rocks! for every ounce of fat on your body that you replace with muscle, it will burn calories that much quicker. muscles burn calories to work while fat just...sits there. it will also improve your physique by helping you to tone. and it feels good! it makes you stronger, improves your balance, and makes daily activity easier (think carrying heavy grocery bags, cat litter, yard work, etc). it's certainly not a requirement, but i would *highly* recommend it!

iamdesiderata

Muscle burns more calories than fat, even while youre not doing anything. That means that the more lean body mass you have, the higher your metabolism is. And because you're female, you don't need to worry about bulking up from strength training - we are physically incapable of doing so (without artificial help of course).

So, while cardio is a great way to keep your metabolism revving, building lean body mass, aka muscle, will help you burn calories while youre at rest. Which inevitably helps you break through your plateau

Look online for women's strength training routines that you like best - but try not to stick to the same routine for too long, the whole idea is to keep surprising your muscles in order to build them ~

Hope this helped!

carl1738

When you lose weight, you lose muscle along with the fat and water, which decreases your metabolism and makes it harder to lose weight. Strength training allows you to maintain the muscle mass that you already have, and even gain muscle, which will keep your metabolism higher. Granted, it can be difficult to gain muscle if you are on a calorie restricted diet, but it is possible. Weight training has also been shown to keep your metabolism elevated for up to 39 hours after a workout, while your metabolism usually drops back to normal within an hour of finishing a cardio session. Strength training also helps you tone up, as well as the obvious benefit of increasing your strength. If you are new to strength training, stick to body weight exercises like squats, lunges and pushups at first. Once you can do 15 reps with good form, start using some light dumbbells. Ask at your gym, and I'm sure that they will be more than happy to provide you with a good beginner's program and a demonstration of the various exercises. I hope this helps!

mirenner

more muscle you possess, the more calories your body will burn

build your body into a calorie burning, fat resistant temple

just4peachy

Muscle is dense, fat is fluffy. To ward off the fluffy you must strength train.

LOVE this quote!!

ZacFields

My dad has talked to me about this (he used to spend 2 hours, seven days a week at the gym when I was younger... he was very muscular). He has never gone into a lot of detail but he said that muscles help you burn off fat. He would say that if you wanted to lose belly fat, then you should do exercises that work your abs area. You'll build muscles in that area and those muscles will help burn away all the fat.

Other than the scientific stuff, it's just nice to tone yourself a little, especially when you have really lost a bunch of weight. Losing weight makes you look good, but building even just a little bit of muscle in your arms, legs, abs makes you look GREAT!

Look at that photo of edorice above this post! She's lost 60 pounds and that muscle tone makes her look great!

SHBoss1673

There's lots of reasons to strength train.

-Functional strength (I.E. being better at every day tasks and balance)

-Looks

-Health

-Mental health

But the main reason for people who are trying to lose weight is because muscles that are in use are resistant from catabolism and won't generally be used for energy by the body in times of caloric deficit. You can't really build muscle while in deficit, it's a biological improbability (it's not impossible because of the complexity of the human body, but it's unlikely in the extreme), but by activating muscle with strength training or essentially any anaerobic work, you are telling your body "Hey, this muscle that I'm fatiguing, don't use it for energy, I need it, use some fat in stead!" And that way you burn extra calories but keep the lean tissue intact! Isn't that convienent?

lutzsher

People who have built up some muscle mass burn their calories at a more efficient rate.
Two people just sitting for an hour . . . one is more toned and "muscular", the other is not at all . . . the person who has built up thier muscle mass by strength training will burn many more calories in that hour than the other person.
This is why you will hear people often say that muscles burn more calories for you . . . . this just makes your body's "furnace" run more efficiently and do the work for you without as much effort as someone who has not done any strength training.
It is important to not only do your cardio for fat burning, and increasing your heart and lung capacity, but to also get in some strength training to build up your lean muscle mass . . . it all works together so your body is a lean fat burning machine!

Manda1987

I won't do weights at the gym either... far too much testosterone for my liking! They get angry when I'm in their way on the machines

Are there weight training classes at your gym? I go to the Y, and they have a great class called Total Body Tone which is a free weights class that's female-friendly. The first time I did it I lost 5 cm off my waist overnight, and muscles I didn't even know existed hurt for a week after. Great workout

grouch201

My main reason for strength training aside from the increase calorie burn is so that I look awesome when all that fat is gone. I don't just want to lose weight, I want to be in shape and look awesome!

edorice

BoresEasily

Many women lose weight without weight training. Towards the end of their weight loss journey they look in the mirror and can't tell any difference. They still have stomachs hanging out, bat wings, and thunder thighs. They wonder, what was the point of losing the weight. Strength training makes you firmer. Muscle is dense, fat is fluffy. To ward off the fluffy you must strength train.

Just this morning two of my female coworkers had to help each other lift a water bottle in the breakroom. Sure, I could have done it, but I figured I'd let them get their workout in for the day. I prefer to be able to lift a water bottle, than to require help. The choice is yours.

Hahaha, you are so awesome. Very well said and I love the story to go with it.

cardbucfan

I agree with everything already posted and I'll add one more-as a woman, you are going to be more vulnerable to osteoporosis as you age. The more you strength train (correctly) the stronger your bones will be. I strongly suggest either some sessions with a trainer (the trainers at our gym will both teach you the correct form and how to use the different pieces of equipment but will also put together a "set" for you to do. I go in once a month and get a new "set" and do those on my own) or if they classes like body pump or body sculpt or boot camp try one of those. They offer a lot of strength work without the boredom you can get with pure strength training. I did a boot camp class once and couldn't lift my arms the next day (and I workout ALOT).

mlb929

As a runner, you will want to cross-train. When I trained for my marathon, I spent so much time running, I let my weight training slide. In the long run, I ended up with a muscle imbalance, pain in my knees and more problems which would have been avoided if I had just cross-trained and continued my strength and weight training. It really is good just simply to avoid injuries. Not to mention what good are strong running legs if you don't have the abs and shapely arms to go with it.

mlb929

EWWWWWWW.
That said - thanks for the visual, it really does make a world of difference in my thinking. You always hear muscle weighs more than fat but that never made sense to me but now I get it

joeybaby66

Hi B,
It is important. it helps to stengthen your joints, ligaments, and it will burn fat as well. the good news is you really don't have to go to a gym. all you need is some small barbells, maybe two to five pounds. There are all kinds of videos out there for women who want a basic resistance workout.
You'll actually feel the difference when you haul the little one around. You can also do pushups, and buy one of those bars you put between the doorway, and do pullups.Great for upper body strength. You won't get muscle bound. You'll will however tone up and look really good. give it a shot. not a big expense at all.

HerbieSue

I agree with Joeybaby66, because I won't work out if I have to drive to a gym. I have been doing Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred for several months and am astounded at how many inches I have lost. All of my dresses and skirts are way too big for me! I should have measured myself at the beginning, but my clothes definitely show I lost, especially in the hips. I like her workouts because they combine cardio and strength training all in one session, and I can even do more than one push-up now! (straight legs!)

And yes, endorice, your arms are amazing!

Floricienta

I was wondering the same thing, the personal trainer I talked to at the gym put it this way: "The human body is like a car, muscles being the motor. When you have a little motor or muscles, you burn less gas or calories. Whereas if your motor is big, you will use up more gas. So make those muscles grow, girl!" :laugh:

SaraTonin

Something not mentioned - strength training helps women avoid osteoporosis later in life!