I am expecting everyone out there to have answered “yes.” If your answer was “no,” don't wait another minute; get going, get muscles!! Why, you ask? Because muscles burn fat, thereby maintaining a leaner you, providing protection for your joints and bones muscles provide overall health from the inside out. Acquiring muscles allows the you to defy aging.
Sorry, but I must get scientific for a few moments. Resistance training or anaerobic exercise burns more fat for body energy than aerobic exercise. One pound of muscle burns about 40 to 50 calories per day while the body is at rest. Five pounds of muscle will burn about 250 calories, 10 pounds, 500 calories per day while you are simply doing nothing.
Aerobic exercise such as biking, treadmill, elliptical and aerobic classes, can typically burn 25 percent muscle and 75 percent fat (esp if you are on a low carb diet), while anaerobic exercise burns 100 percent fat.
Anaerobic exercise fatigues and actually breaks down the muscle tissue and stresses bones. In turn, the muscle rebuilds itself causing the muscle and bone to be even stronger. However, in order for this process to occur, added calories must be taken, such as extra protein, plenty of water and rest. So you could actually consume more calories and still have a healthy lean body. Who is better than you?
Allow me to clarify this to all women out there. Ladies, muscles will not make you look bulky! Stop saying that; you are driving me crazy. Weight training can only give you a leaner, more sculptured look, or tone, if you will. Women do not produce the hormones needed to create muscles as large as men can. Thats me in the picture. How do I look?
Female bodybuilders as seen on television and magazines take hormone supplements, train with very heavy weights and consume an overabundance of calories to attain their competition physique. Women can add muscle without increasing muscle size because muscle is denser than fat, therefore reducing their size.
The benefits of anaerobic exercise do not stop with just fat-burning. The process of building muscles also requires our organs to engage in extra performance, causing some of them to work harder, thereby revitalizing them.
Other muscles – like your heart – actually stress themselves less when you are resting. The hearts of people who don't work out actually work harder!
Muscle building also requires the body to produce youth-related hormones that not only defy our body age, but enhance our mental and sexual performance as well.
Studies have found that you are never too old to get anaerobic benefits. It was proven that the increase in muscle and bone density in nursing home patients in their 80s and 90s increased their strength by well over 125 percent and some of them even got rid of their walkers. So to all of you grandmas and grandpas, go and get some muscles.
However, understand that proper anaerobic exercise requires certified instruction. Improper anaerobic exercise will yield minimal results and could even result in injury. Proper guidance will teach you technique, form and proper resistance and keep you injury-free. Consult with your physician before you engage in any physical activity.
So I leave you with this: Get muscle. Now!
Until we meet again, keep it fit.
Maria Strong. My fitness background has me training for 30 years, as a career….17 years. I am certified in personal traininig, yoga and corrective exercise. I own and run my own business including personal training, corporate consulting, yoga, nutritional counseling, gym design. My clients range from teen through geriatric, male and female, pre and post rehab, bodybuilders, athletes, the overweight, etc. I am a proud single mother of two young men ages 23 and 18 who also live a fit and healthy lifestyle. Nicholas is a personal trainer and on my website, Joseph wishes to pursue a sport related career. Visit my website www.mariastrong.com for more info on me and what I do.
Brad, I do agree but instead of “a lot of protein” I would recommend no more than 1.5 grams per pound for healthy people. the more they exercise the more free radicals they make and the more fruits/veggies help squash them and prevent them from doing harm.
Having a balanced diet is the most important factor in achieving good results in bodybuilding. Concentrate on having a lot of protein in your diet.