For a long time I focused on losing weight, when I really should have been focused on building muscles. Muscle tissue helps burn fat. The more muscle you have, the faster and hotter your metabolism is, and the easier it is to keep fit. So focusing on building muscle is more important than trying to lose weight. While it may be true that muscles weigh more than fat, having strong muscles is always better for your overall health.
When someone starts weight training they may find that they are gaining weight. While this may come as a surprise to them it is not something to be concerned with. The main reason this is a good thing is because for every pound of muscle you build you increase your resting metabolic rate by about 2 percent. The bottom line here is that you end up burning more calories. We would all be better off thinking about gaining muscle instead of focusing on losing weight.
When you think about it, just a simple change in perspective can have a profound impact on the end result. Give this a try for yourself and see how it will work. It may seem minor and trivial, but often the little things can make a huge difference.
Now that you have changed your mental game, take a look at what you are doing with your body. The best way to build muscle is to do strength training, or weight lifting. If you mix up your exercise regime you won’t have to worry about bulking up. Some people have the concern that if they lift weights they will look like a wrestler or a body builder. That’s not true.
The main thing to keep in mind is that if you focus on repetitions (or reps), and not on hugely increasing the number of pounds you lift you will not build mass. Women can keep this in mind: use smaller weights, increase the repetitions and build strong muscles.
Decide what your end result will be, make a plan for yourself and begin your weight training. Plan a routine where you alternate weights every other day with some cardio, or some other type of aerobic exercise. Remember that when you start out you will achieve some fairly quick results, which will plateau over time.
Once your body gets used to the repetitions, the results will come slower. This is when you can increase the amount of the weights or try a new strength training routine. It is important to know this going in so you don’t lose your motivation by thinking that your efforts are not working, even if hitting the plateau is true for all types of exercises.
Go, get moving and start pumping for your great health.
