Of course, you have your yogis, your bodybuilders, your dancers… I would have to say I am a cardio queen. I enjoy a good run, fast-paced walk, sports (like tennis).. anything that will get my heart rate going and my body moving. We all have our favorite “things” when it comes to working out, but we cannot forget a balanced workout routine. And, I must admit, I tend to overlook resistance training, especially when I am training for a race. Therefore, I challenge you to join me in adding/doing some type of resistance training at least twice a week for 30 minutes. It’s easy for me to overlook or think to myself, “oh, as long as I get my cardio in, I’ll be fine,” but the truth is, everyone needs a little bit of strength training. The American Heart Association recommends at least 2-3 sessions of strength training a week for about 20 minutes. Now, have fun with this! This means you can do bodyweight exercises, use free weights or machines. Pilates is great too, especially if you are wanting a stronger core. Trust me, after doing this regularly for about a month, you will not only see results but you will feel them! For more benefits of strength/resistance training, click here. Do not forget to stretch after!
I am by NO MEANS saying do not do cardio, but don’t leave any muscles behind! (also for you fellow cardio crazies, you’ll find that resistance training will make your cardio sessions more productive: It’s a win-win). You’re body craves resistance training! Now, go make it happy and build some lean, metabolism-boosting muscle!
Need help getting started building a strength training program? Here is a really helpful resource I found for designing your own workout: pay most attention to the rotation examples and compare them to your fitness goals (listed at the top).
Here are some other tips I tell my clients
1. If you are working one major muscle group per session, make sure to give that group a break for at least a day or two before coming back to it.
2. Strength/resistance training is NOT a “one-size-fits-all” kind of thing; in order to design an effective program, you must take your personal fitness goals into account (i.e. endurance, power, health).
2. Fuel up properly afterwards: Yes, you are working to build lean muscle mass (i.e. lose fat), but in order to do so you must fuel what has been broken down — when your muscles contract repeatedly, they are breaking down.
3. Ladies, afraid of bulking up? DON’T BE. You do not have the testosterone for it. That is a myth that I will soon tackle in my “I am Strong” course, debuting in February!
