Weights 1st-Lift Heavy

Looking to build muscle and lose body fat? -start with lifting weights instead of walking. When faced with a choice and limits on your time, weights are the meat and potatoes.

Building muscle can increase your metabolism-our bodies need energy (food) to create that muscle. Muscle requires more energy to maintain. Our primary goal as we get older.

Building muscle as we get older.

If you are ready to get started strength training, start with a trainer if you can. If you cannot start with a trainer, a class with a good instructor that will guide you through good technique is ideal.

If you are looking to work on your own, begin with body weight moves to first build the brain, body connection where you get the move down and the proper muscles firing given the move you are doing. Aim for 3 x week of about 6-8 exercises.

From body weight moves, shift to machines in a weight room/gym. This can be a great progressive step. Often times gyms will have a trainer available to show you how to use the machines. Here aim for 3x week, approximately 3 rounds of 10-12 reps of each exercise.

After 6-8 weeks of machines, move on to dumbbells, for anther month for 3 x week. After several months at about 3 x week and noticeable changes in muscle growth you are ready to begin to lift heavy, which is the power phase. The power phase is broken down more from the previous months. The power phase can be 3 x week with a day of rest between. Each session may be about 5-6 exercises of 3-5 sets of 4-6 lifts. You take 1-2 minutes of rest between. This power phase is key to stimulate more power, combating muscle loss that happens with age, increase metabolism, and enhance bone density. We absolutely want that!

Each of these stages are a challenge to plan and organize and best done with a set of professional eyes to keep it safe, progressive, and somewhat linear in that progression.

There are strength coaches, such as myself, who can help plan and subscribe your plan on a weekly basis. Having support can help you feel you are on the right track to growth.

Strength training, lifting heavy in that power phase for us older ladies is key. BUT, not beneficial unless we also eat to build that muscle and fuel each session. Without proper food intake and addition of activity, in the form of exercise, we will likely gain body fat and lose muscle!

In summary, strength training is key to our fitness and health as we get older. There is a progression to getting to the point of lifting heavy weights, and we need to be certain we fuel our efforts by eating more to allow for much needed, desired muscle growth.

Contact me if you would like help, support with your strength training regimen or to get started..