Women-Nine myths about strength-training (Please read)

staciekins

Nine myths about strength-training by Kimberly Garrison

I'VE BEEN in the fitness game for more than 20 years, and the myths that never seem to die are the ones concerning women and weight training. Today, I hope to dispel some of these and nudge a few more women to get serious about toning and strength-training.

MYTH 1: Strength training makes women larger and heavier.

This most persistently persistent myth couldn't be further from the truth. The only thing bulking us up are those biscuits, breads and bagels.

To the contrary, lifting heavy weights is one of the best ways to increase strength while simultaneously improving muscle tone. I've been lifting heavy weights for years, and I don't come close to having Arnold Schwarzenegger proportions.

The truth is, strength-training helps reduce body fat and increase lean tissue. Muscle takes up less space than fat. Muscle is also more metabolically active and, along with diet and the appropriate amount of cardiovascular exercise, will help accelerate your weight loss. The payoff? You'll be leaner, more toned and more defined.

MYTH 2: Women should avoid high-intensity or high-load training.

Women are often encouraged to use only weight machines or small hand-weights with high reps. They're typically encouraged to use limited resistance, such as light dumbbells, in their strength exercises.

Women need to train at intensities high enough to cause adaptation in bone, muscle, cartilage, ligaments and tendons. When exercise intensity provides insufficient stimulus, you'll gain insufficient benefit. Women should perform their exercises at or near the repetition maximum for each. Lifting heavy weights will produce the firm, fit body most women covet.

MYTH 3: I exercise, so I can eat whatever I want.

Honey, please. Exercise is no substitute for poor nutrition. Contrary to popular belief, you cannot exercise poor food choices away in a 30-minute jog on the treadmill.

MYTH 4: You can spot-reduce.

Contrary to the latest infomercial, there is no such thing. Fat is lost throughout the body in a pattern dependent upon genetics, sex, hormones and age. Overall body fat must be reduced to lose fat in any particular area.

MYTH 5: You can turn fat into muscle (and vice versa).

Nope. Fat and muscle are separate types of tissue and not interchangeable. But by gaining muscle mass through strength training, and losing fat with diet and cardiovascular exercise, you can transform your body.

The denser your muscle tissue, the more calories you will burn at a state of rest. For each pound of muscle you create, you will burn an additional 35 to 50 calories a day! A pound of fat, on the other hand, burns 1 to 3 calories a day.

MYTH 6: Weight training makes you inflexible and stiff.

Performed correctly, using a full range of motion, strength-training exercises increase flexibility. Flexibility exercises also should be incorporated into your overall fitness routine.

MYTH 7: Women should do only cardio.

Cardiovascular exercise works the heart and will help burn some fat. It's essential to your overall health, but you'll need some weight training to tone and reshape the body.

MYTH 8: Eliminating carbs from your diet is the best way to lose weight.

The only carbs that need to go are processed, refined products like doughnuts, chips, pretzels, instant-grain products, white rice and white-flour products. The carbohydrates in a wholesome diet should come from vegetables (especially the dark-green, leafy variety) and fruit.

MYTH 9: Eliminating fat is the best way to lose weight.

Essential body fat is an important source of energy for normal bodily functions and especially vital in maintaining heart and immune-system health.

The only fats you need to eliminate are saturated fat (primarily flesh foods) and trans-fats found in processed foods with hydrogenated oils. Up to 30 percent of your calories can come from poly- and monounsaturated oils. Good sources of fat are avocado, peanut butter and olive oil.

But remember, a little dab'll do ya. Fat calories are dense - 9 calories per gram vs. 4 calories per gram for carbohydrates and protein.

staciekins

Here is the link to the page if you ever need it! http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/columnists/121672694.html?page=1&c=y

hpsnickers1

This is so true.


Except eliminating flesh foods and saturated fats.

Take a trip over to Marks Daily Apple and read some of the success stories. They eat low carb (no grains or flours or added sugars or starchy vegetables except a sweet potato occasionally), moderate protein (.7-.8g per lb of LBM or 1g if you are very active) and the rest of their calories from fats (meats, fish, poultry and healthy oils) and they are amazingly healthy. Inflammation is gone and bloodwork is great. Aches and pains have gone away. And Mark has all the clinical and scientific evidence to back it up (grains are killing us slowly).

I'm at 60% fat right now. I started this two weeks ago but the first week and a half I didn't have all the necessary groceries so I just didn't eat enough. I'll be giving updates every so often to see if this type of eating is for me. I don't miss grains. I don't get insulin crashes and shakes 2 hours after eating. I don't have to eat every 2 hours because I don't have to worry about the insulin ups and downs (meat, veggies and fats will keep you full for hours). I don't get tired and lethargic anymore.

I'm not saying this plan is for everyone. But with Diabetes running rampant on both sides of my family I'm willing to try it just to keep from developing an insulin resistance from all those ups and downs.

What I like about Primal Blueprint as opposed to the Paleo Diet is he has made it a bit more modern. It's 80% primal and 20% whatever you want.