Why Weight Training

Why does Time for Change Fitness promote resistance training?

Many people focus on calories alone. The slash and dash mentality develops destructive patterns, like extreme calorie cuts and/or excessive aerobics. This sets off an alarm-state in the body where the body sheds muscle tissue to lessen energy demands, and stores body fat as a survival response. Once this physiological state is reached, it becomes nearly impossible to lose any more weight no matter how many calories you cut or how much aerobic work you add. What you end up with is a person who is on a starvation level calorie count and performing excessive exercise, yet is still flabby.

The calories burned during an exercise session are relatively small compared to the amount burned during the other 23 hours of the day. Most fat oxidation occurs between training sessions, not during. This means your exercise sessions should primarily be geared towards building muscle and boosting your metabolism.

After a strength training session, the metabolic rate raises (the after-burn effect) for longer periods of time than after aerobic work (up to 48 hours). This is because all of the steps involved in the recovery process from strength training (satellite cell activation, tissue repair, protein synthesis, etc.) require energy (calories).

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Try the Cable-Curl on for Size

Set-Up

Using a cable-pulley system, set the pulley at the lowest setting. Assume a staggered stance; back foot about 3 feet from pulley (positioning will vary with great height differences). Weight should be set so that 8 - 12 repetitions maximum can be completed with good, controlled form (if your goal is not hypertrophy - maximal growth - repetitions and weight will differ).


Start with your shoulders back and chest up. Your head should be looking straight forward so that your neck is in a neutral position. Even though your feet are staggered, your hips should also be pointing straight forward.




As you curl, leave your shoulders back (as if pinching your shoulder-blades together). Your abdominal muscles should be contracted, and completely engaged. Since you are using a pulley system, you will have to resist twisting your hips and torso toward the weight. This gives you a core workout as well.



Keeping your core engaged, exhale as you curl.







As you curl upward, flexing your wrist against the resistance will transfer some of the work load to your forearms. This will make the curl easier on the biceps. If your intention is to focus on building bigger biceps, keep your wrist stiff.




The end of the curl is when your forearm is parallel to the cable. If working with heavy weight, curling beyond this point can cause unnecessary and awkward pressure on the elbow. Upon reaching top of the curl, reverse the motion in a controlled fashion; back to the starting point.

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