Resistance Training to the Rescue

Once you reach your 40’s, you will begin to naturally lose lean muscle from the body. This slows the rate at which you burn up your food and drink for energy. Instead, you store it as body fat. To stop this muscle loss and maximize calorie burning to stay lean and strong, you must engage in a quality, resistance-training program that involves weights.



Too many adults focus on fat loss and try to lose body fat by dieting. 95% of diets fail and actually result in more fat gain and muscle loss. Dieting to lose weight:

• Results in mostly water and muscle loss.


• Results in a decrease in our metabolism – how quickly we burn up our food for energy.


• Results in more calories being stored as body fat.

All of this ultimately leads to less muscle mass, a slower metabolism, and more body fat.

Focus on Gaining Lean Muscle for Ultimate Fat Loss

If you want to become a healthy, active, fat-burning individual, you must focus on gaining lean muscle. Fortunately, older adults can quickly rebuild muscles that have atrophied (gotten smaller and softer) as soon as they start a quality resistance-training program.

Here are some simple guidelines for a resistance-training program:

?    Get medical clearance from your health care professional first.

?    Do 4 to 8 exercises for 2 to 3 sets, 3 times in 7 days but never 2 days in a row. Even exercising

2 days a week will make a difference.

?    Use free weights such as dumbbells instead of weight machines.

?    Change your entire exercise routine every 4 weeks.

?    Be sure that the weight you lift is heavier than you normally would lift.

?    Each rep should take about 4 to 6 seconds to perform from start to finish.

?    Exhale on the lifting part of each exercise and inhale on the lowering part. Never

hold your breath.

?    Before each workout, do a dynamic warm-up that involves slow controlled movements. After all

workouts, do slow, relaxed stretches.

Adding lean muscle to the body will keep you strong and balanced to carry out all of your daily activities for an active, independent, healthy lifestyle.

COMING UP

Next week’s blog will dive deeper into the importance of Moving Your Body – Cardio Workout