Do I HAVE to??

Bump I am wondering the same things

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.

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.

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!

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!

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

LOVE this quote!!

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?

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

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).

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

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!

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