Tag: Strength Training

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How Lifting Weights Will Change Your Life

WFC Blog - How Lifting Weights Will Change Your Life

How Lifting Weights Will Change Your Life

There’s more to be gained from lifting weights than you might think. Sure, you can get big muscles and kick sand in the faces of your bullies. But, there’s so much more than that.

There are so many benefits, both physical and psychological, from lifting weights that everyone should be doing it. If you’ve never lifted weight consistently, you’re missing out.

See how you can change your life by lifting weights:

    1. Lifting weights teaches you to deal with discomfort. If you’re really pushing some iron to the best of your ability, it’s going to be physically uncomfortable. That discomfort can be useful. If you can learn how to be uncomfortable and still continue, you become a powerful person.

        ◦ We all face discomfort each day. It’s uncomfortable to give a speech, talk to someone new, sit in traffic, or to have difficult conversations. As odd as it sounds, lifting weights can help with all types of uncomfortable situations.

    2. Your blood sugar levels are better controlled. Using your muscles in a strenuous way enhances your body’s ability to use glucose effectively. It increases your insulin sensitivity, too. Many type-2 diabetics are able to get off their medication by lifting weights and dropping a few pounds.

    3. Lifting weights is great for your sleep. It’s easier to get a good night of sleep if you’re physically active during the day. Avoid getting too carried away. Insomnia is a common sign of overtraining. It’s possible to get too much of a good thing.

        ◦ If you’re not currently sleeping well, what could change your life more than a good night of sleep?

    4. Your strength increases. This seems obvious, but it’s more important than you might think. After a certain age, you lose strength each year. It’s important to your health and independence for you to maintain your strength. The best way to maintain strength is to work on building it.

    5. Lifting weights boosts metabolism and aids in weight loss. Lifting weights is more effective for controlling body weight than cardiovascular exercise. High intensity exercise continues to burn calories long after the exercise is over. Building and maintaining muscle also requires a lot of energy.

    6. Your discipline and perseverance will increase. If you can successfully follow a weightlifting routine, you can do a lot of other things, too. It’s uncomfortable to lift weights, and many of the results come slowly. Most people are too impatient to be successful with a weightlifting routine. Be patient and you’ll see results!

    7. Depression and anxiety symptoms are reduced. Pumping iron can be great for your mood. Studies show that you feel less depressed and anxious when you exercise regularly.

    8. Self-esteem is enhanced. You feel better when you become stronger, leaner, and maintain an exercise routine. It’s great for your confidence and self-esteem. You just feel like a million bucks.

    9. Bone density increases. Bone density becomes important as you age. It can be especially important to women. Putting a heavy load on your body is great for your bones and overall health.

    10. Your posture improves. Do you slouch? Improving your strength and muscle tone can help. You’ll have fewer aches and pains, and it will be easier to stand or sit for extended periods of time.

Get started with a weightlifting routine today. Get help if you need to but get started as soon as possible. Remember to be patient. It will take several weeks for your body to adapt. Until that happens, it can be challenging to recover between workouts.

Go slowly and enjoy the process. It won’t be long before you wonder why you waited so long to get started.

Take action now and use everything we have for you at:  WebFitnessClub.com

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How To Structure An Effective HIIT Workout

WFC Blog - How To Structure An Effective HIIT Workout

How To Structure An Effective HIIT Workout

Structuring a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout is pretty straightforward once you know the basics. Before proceeding, here are a few quick tips:

* You only need to do 2 to 3 HIIT sessions a week to see results. 

* Always have a 1 day break between each HIIT session

* Full-body strength HIIT workouts are more effective than cardio HIIT workouts

* Make sure you’ve been exercising for at least a month or two before trying HIIT

* Intensity and load is more important that duration of workout

Now let’s look at the basics:

1. Full-body workouts 

It’s best that all your HIIT sessions be full body workouts. The more muscles you recruit, the more calories you burn. You’ll also be toning your different muscle groups. This is one reason why strength training workouts with HIIT are much more effective than HIIT that are purely cardio workouts.

If you’re doing sprints as a form of interval training, you’ll mostly be working your legs and to a small extent your arms. While your stamina will improve, your upper body strength will not increase significantly.

With strength training, your entire body will be given a workout. The muscles in your upper body will get stronger and your lower body will too. There will be more balance. Your stamina will also improve because of the intensity.

So, it’s best to have strength training exercises and full-body workouts. Stick to compound exercises like deadlifts, squats, lunges, pushups, pull ups, leg raises, etc.

Do remember to warm up for 5 minutes before you start a HIIT session and do cool down exercises for 5 minutes when you’re done.

2. Work to rest ratios

Your work to rest ratio will depend on your level of fitness. If you’re a beginner, your work:rest ratio will be 1:2. That means 30 seconds high intensity followed by 1 minute of rest. You’ll do this for 10 to 15 minutes and for as many sets as you can fit into the duration you’re working out.

Advanced training usually means longer intensity duration followed by shorter rest intervals. A common technique is 45 seconds work, 15 seconds rest.

If you’re at intermediate level, you’ll still follow the 1:2 ratio but you’ll train for 15 to 20 minutes. You may wish to do 1 minute intense followed by 2 minutes rest. As long as you maintain the ratio, you’re good.

If you’re advanced, you can aim for a ratio of 1:1. One minute of intensity followed by one minute of rest. Or you could even do 2:1. Two minutes intensity followed by 1 minute of rest. You can do this for 20 to 25 minutes. This is best attempted by women with a high level of fitness.

* Progressive training

Keep your training progressive but gradual. Always seek to improve. You could improve by doing extra reps or extra sets in the given time period. It would be a good idea to record the details of each workout so that you know you’re trying to beat your personal bests.

You can improve in 3 ways:

* Increasing your speed, reps/sets 

* Increasing the weights

* Shortening the rest periods

3. Knowing your max heart rate

Your maximum heart rate can be found by subtracting your age from 220. So, if you’re a 35 year old woman, 220 – 35 = 185. This is your maximum heart rate.

When training, you want to be at around 80 to 95 percent of your maximum heart rate. That will mean 185 x .80 and 185 x .95. So your training zone has a range of 148 to 175. This is the zone your heart should be beating at when you’re training during a HIIT session.

Your recovery heart rate should be 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. Ideally, you should have a heart rate monitor to track your heart rate so that you’ll know at a glance where you stand.

Now that you’re aware of the basics, structure your HIIT workouts so that you train your entire body with compound exercises. Workout for a suitable duration at your maximum heart rate. Vary your workouts and always strive to improve on your personal bests.

We have great training options inside our WebFitnessClub Membership about fitness, motivation and how to developing the best workout for you.

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10 Myths Of Exercising That Keeps You From Losing Weight

WFC Blog - 10 Myths Of Exercising That Keeps You From Losing Weight

10 Myths Of Exercising That Keeps You From Losing Weight

There are many misconceptions regarding exercise that still exist today. Here are some of the most common exercise myths as well as the not-so-common facts based on current exercise research. 

Exercise Myth 1 – Low intensity workout burns more fat 

In general, low intensity exercise has its place — it’s less stressful on joints. However, one should know that fat reduction depends on the total energy cost or how many calories burned during the activity. The faster you move, the more calories you use per minute. However, high-intensity exercise may be difficult to sustain in the beginning, so you may not exercise very long at this level. In such cases, it is safer and more practical to start out at a lower intensity and to gradually work your way up. 

Exercise Myth 2 – Spot reduction works for tighter abs or toner arms 

All those crunching may have been done in vain. You will not see a nice muscle definition despite how many crunches you do because it lays hidden beneath all the layers of fat. Thus, when exercising, do not focus on a body part. Whole body exercises work better. This kind of thinking keeps a lot of people from maintaining or even starting an exercise program. Research continues to show that any exercise is better than none. For example, regular walking or gardening for as little as an hour a week has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. 

Exercise Myth 3 – Stretching will help prevent injuries

There is little evidence stretching prevents injuries. Current research shows that muscle stretching does not reduce delayed onset muscle soreness in young healthy adults.  In another study, it is found that static stretching (staying in one place during stretching) lasting more than a minute can be detrimental to performance. Athletes often swing their arms and warm up before a game. That type of dynamic stretching such as high knee jogs, walking lunges can help move your muscles through different ranges of motions.

Exercise Myth 4 – If You Exercise Long and Hard Enough, You Will Always Get the Results You Want. 

In reality, genetics plays an important role in how people respond to exercise. Studies have shown a wide variation in how different exercisers respond to the same training program. Your development of strength, speed and endurance may be very different from that of other people you know. 

Exercise Myth 5 – Exercise Is One Sure Way to Lose All the Weight You Desire. 

As with all responses to exercise, weight gain or loss is dependent on many factors, including dietary intake and genetics. All individuals will not lose the same amount of weight on the same exercise program. It is possible to be active and overweight. However, although exercise alone cannot guarantee your ideal weight, regular physical activity is one of the most important factors for successful long-term weight management. 

Exercise Myth 6 – If You Want to Lose Weight, Stay Away From Strength Training Because You Will Bulk Up.

 Most exercise experts believe that cardiovascular exercise and strength training are both valuable for maintaining a healthy weight. Strength training helps maintain muscle mass and decrease body fat percentage. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest.

Exercise Myth 7 – Water Fitness Programs Are Primarily for Older People or Exercisers With Injuries. 

Recent research has shown that water fitness programs can be highly challenging and effective for both improving fitness and losing weight. Even top athletes integrate water fitness workouts into their training programs. 

Exercise Myth 8 – The Health and Fitness Benefits of Mind-Body Exercise Like Tai Chi and Yoga Are Questionable.

Research showing the benefits of these exercises continues to grow. Tai chi, for example, has been shown to help treat low-back pain and fibromyalgia. Improved flexibility, balance, coordination, posture, strength and stress management are just some of the potential results of mind-body exercise. 

Exercise Myth 9 – Overweight People Are Unlikely to Benefit Much From Exercise. 

Studies show that obese people who participate in regular exercise programs have a lower risk of all-cause mortality than sedentary individuals, regardless of weight. Both men and women of all sizes and fitness levels can improve their health with modest increases in activity. 

Exercise Myth 10 – Home Workouts Are Fine, But Going to a Gym Is the Best Way to Get Fit. 

Research has shown that some people find it easier to stick to a home-based fitness program. In spite of all the hype on trendy exercise programs and facilities, the “best” program for you is the one you will participate in consistently.