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Answers to Your Resistance Training Questions

Health Clubs and Fitness Centres

Answers to Your Resistance Training QuestionsBy Becky Frisk

As a fitness trainer I have found that there seems to be a lot of mystery around resistance training or weight lifting. Below I have listed some of the most common questions I am asked along with my answers.

· What is resistance training: Resistance training is simply engaging your muscles. You can use objects to create resistance such as the floor, the wall, hand weights, resistance bands, or weight machines -- or you can just contract and hold the muscle for a length of time.

· Why should we do resistance training? Beginning in our early thirties we all start to lose muscle tone unless we do something to retain it. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so as we lose muscle tone we also need fewer calories to maintain our bodies; however, most of us continue eating the same amount of food and begin to gain weight as we age.

Another important reason to engage in resistance training as you age is to keep your body safe from injury. Retaining your muscle will help you avoid osteoporosis, improve bone density and improve heart disease risk factors. Resistance training has also proven to increase lung capacity and aerobic conditioning.

Studies have shown that beginning resistance training at any age brings about more significant health improvements than aerobic exercise. Preliminary tests on cardiac patients have shown that strength training can be safer than aerobic training.

· Am I too old to start resistance training? No, you are never too old. Strength training can be started at any age and it can help the body reverse (yes, I said reverse) some of the signs of aging.

· How often do I need to train? There are many schools of thought on this and it depends on what your goals are, however for general health and toning, two to three times a week, with a day in between to allow your muscles to rebuild, should give you the results you desire.

· How much resistance should I use? Again, if you talk to 10 trainers you will get 10 different answers, however no matter what your goal is, in order to build muscle you need to stress it first.

I am a proponent of using as much weight as possible to exhaust your muscles in a short amount of time. This means repeating a specific exercise 8 to 10 times, resting a few seconds and repeating for 2 to 3 sets while maintaining good form.

· How do I learn "good form?" There are a lot of ways to learn about correct resistance training form, however copying other people at the gym is not one of them.

You can buyexcellent books and DVDs that will give you information on safe and effective resistance training techniques, or you can hire a personal trainer to get you started.

Take some time to learn about safe resistance training from a knowledgeable source.

· Do I need to join a gym or buy a lot of equipment? No. You can get a wonderful workout at home with no equipment whatsoever. Those calisthenics you learned in school - pushups, squats, lunges, crunches - cover all the major muscle groups and will tone you up in no time.

You can also use resistance bands which are inexpensive, easily stored or packed for travel and can be used like weights; these are my favourite resistance training tools.

Working out at home with a DVD or personal trainer, at a gym, or on your own, any of these choices will work for anybody.

The system that will work greatest for you depends on your exercise personality and goals, the most important thing is to get started and don't be afraid to try different things until you find the program that works for you.

· How long will my workouts take? You can tone your muscles in as small as 10 minutes a day, 3 days a week. Learning to work multiple muscle groups will make your exercise time efficient and effective and will also add a cardiovascular element to your routine.

There is no need to spend hours every week working out. Very few people exercise because they love it, they exercise to stay healthy and fit so they can continue to do the things they love doing.

One of my favourite DVD series is 10 Minute Trainer by Tony Horton, however if you look around you can find other DVDs or trainers who have developed quick, effective resistance training workouts.

I hope I have given you some valuable information about resistance training and its importance. Resistance training can be incorporated into anyone's routine and you will gain enormous benefits from this one lifestyle change.

Becky Frisk is a Lifestyle Fitness Coach and Personal Trainer offering motivation and support to women who want to live a fit and active lifestyle.

http://www.lifestylefitnesscoaching101.com

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Workout With Resistance Bands - Easy 5 Step Routine to Workout With Resistance Bands

Health Clubs and Fitness Centres

Workout With Resistance Bands - Easy 5 Step Routine to Workout With Resistance BandsBy Robert Deangelo

What is the greatest workout with resistance bands?

Resistance bands are a fun, simple and convenient way to get a good strength training workout. It does not matter when or where. At home, your office or even on vacation.

But what is the greatest workout with resistance bands?

Many individuals who lift weights usually will tell you about the superiority of weight lifting as the greatest muscle builder. While free weights are good, workouts with resistance bands do provide some interesting benefits to building muscle size and fat or adipose tissue loss.

In recent years resistance bands have received a black eye... they were seen as something only a middle aged women would use during some aerobic workout with small to NO resistance. There are some interesting differences in resistance bands that make them an excellent choice for working out... besides the convenience factor.

There are many advantages in using resistance bands:

1. One of the great advantages is that the resistance is maintained through every part of the exercise. During free weight exercises there is always a point in which there is NO resistance what so ever.

2. Resistance band training, utilizes both the concentric and eccentric part of the exercise. In this way you have a greater range of motion & more total muscle stimulation. The downside to resistance bands is the limitation of exercises. (This is actually easy to overcome)

Here are some things to know about your workout with resistance bands.

SIDE NOTE:

When CHOOSING resistance bands for your workout the most IMPORTANT factor is in deciding which resistance band is suitable for your strength level. The BETTER resistance bands have the ability to attach many bands to the handle similar to adding weights on a dumbbell. Also, when performing the exercise, the band should be secured in a way so the length is suitable to give resistance even at the bottom of the exercise. An excellent way to do this is with the use of a door anchor.

Play some motivating music and train in an area were you will not be interrupted.

To get this and other resistance band workouts please visit our site

Final Thoughts:

Make sure that the resistance bands you use are from a good quality manufacturer. Bands that are of poor quality... similar to plain old "rubber bands" lose their elasticity over time. Resistance band can build serious muscle.

To see pictures... get the free workout with resistance bands and find about a good quality resistance bands manufacturer. Click to http://www.Build-Muscle-Guide.com for complete information, reviews, tips and more. Do this and I guarantee your success.

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Resistance Band Tube Workouts - Why Are They Better?

Health Clubs and Fitness Centres

Resistance Band Tube Workouts - Why Are They Better?By Robert Deangelo