Cardio for Weight Loss or Not!

I have just read an article by a very interesting fitness professional that is known to be "anti cardio" and has his own belief that were very interesting to me. Let me tell you his point of the argument.

This fitness buff hates cardio and can not remember the last time he has ran on a treadmill, jump roped or biked. Cardio training just was not for him but that doesn't mean he didn't work his butt off at the gym.

What is Cardio for Weight Loss?

Most people view cardio as endlessly jogging on the treadmill, feeling the burn on the bike, and pumping your way on the elliptical glider but he calls this "traditional cardio."

No wonder people get tired of there workouts and give up a couple months after starting."

But when you really define what cardio is you find out that it is any exercise or activity that strengthens the cardiovascular system. A simple way to look at it is if your heart starts pumping faster and you beginning to breath harder because of the exercise difficulties than it's cardio.

Weight training can be as good or even better training for conditioning your heart than any treadmill or bike.

Some great examples of exercises are going from a dumbbell so-called clean & press to a shoulder press and back down. This can be done with heavy weight or can even be done with light weight for women scared of gaining an muscle and just want to lean, tone, and achieve weight loss.

Many people disreguard barbells from being anything besides weight training and stregth exercise but this fitness professional uses when for his weight training, cardio, and flexibility.

If you challenge yourself enough doing reps of 10-15 your heart rate is most likely around 80-90% of VO2 max. This is just like spiriting short distances as your exerting a huge amount of energy for one exercise and this is the best way to burn fat and achieve weight loss.

Try the same thing in a set of 20 reps doing a one-arm snatch or swing with each arm having a dumbbell. Your legs will be burning and your heart rate will be racing just like spiriting. Want to take it to the next level, try doing 5 minutes of straight bodyweight squats, lunges, and push-ups with very little rest in between. Your heart rate will be pounding faster than it has ever done before.

These weight training methods are fulfilling your cardio and strength training needs at the same time turning you into a leaner and healthier you.

I challenge you to give it a shot as it am using his methods and feel great so far so lets see if the results are what we were told.

For more information on weight loss, nutrition, and exercise visit top weight loss site for the leading information online.
Have a great day and God bless!

Resistance Training Makes You Hungry

Benefits of weight training!

Resistance training (weight training) can help both sexes stay lean by building muscle and raising metabolism. The fact is, hours and hours of aerobic exercise won't help most people lose weight fast because your metabolism drops back to normal fairly quickly after stopping the exercise.

If you gain muscle, however, your body's resting metabolism (the amount of calories you burn when you're just sitting still) increases, because muscle requires a lot of calories to maintain.

Studies have shown consistent weight training to raise the body's metabolism by 15%. This means an average woman might burn 200-300 more calories at rest every day! Resistance training, then, is the gift that keeps on giving.

But when you do weight lifting your body has to repair itself so if you are on a low calorie diet your body might increase your hunger to increase the calories you might eat. It is a defense method for the body to repair itself after weight training.

Weight training solutions!

1) After even workout with weights do some cardio and flexibility to loosen up the muscle and to get blood flow to them and your whole body as quick as possible. This will help make recovery less painful.

2) Drink plenty of water as water will help keep you full and aid in the recovery of your workouts. The more water you drink instead of other types of drinks will keep your body and system healthy and energized.

3) Take a hot shower right after your workout as this will help the blood that is in the parts of your body that you workout to go throughout your entire body. This will help the recovery and have muscle and body being less sore a day or two later.

For more information please visit top weight loss site for some of the best information online on health, fitness, and weight loss.

Have a great day and God bless!

The Great Dumbbell Handbook Breakdown

Weight Training Safety Tips

1) Always warm up before you start a workout

Warming up the whole body before training is important for safe and productive workouts. Warming up can be as simple as performing a specific exercise at 25% to 50% of the weight you normally use. It is very simple so warm up before starting your workout and can help weight loss.

2) Use proper posture

Improving or maintaining good posture will greatly reduce the chances of injury and maximize exercise gains and benefits. Good posture is like sitting up straight when lifting weights or standing with feet shoulder width apart while not locking the knees. Making sure not to twist or arch to complete an exercise. Good posture can make or break your physical health.

3) Use proper form

Focus on only working the muscle groups intended for the exercise you are doing. If you feel strain elsewhere you may need someone to critique your exercise motion or reevaluation the amount of weight you are lifting. Keeping proper form also means lifting in a smooth fluid motion. Know when your muscles are too tired to keep going.

4) Breathe properly

Never hold your breath during any part of an exercise. Holding your breath may cause severe intrathoracic pressure and raise blood pressure leading to dizziness, blackout or worse! The rule of thumb is to exhale slowly on exertion and inhale on the return part to the exercise.

5) Stop training if you feel pain

If you feel any pain during a specific exercise, stop immediately to avoid any injury that may occur. Any continuation may lead to future pain or injury that can lead to years and years of pain that is not needed. Make sure you are using proper form and lift only the weights that you can do with good form.