Why Weight Training is Important for Women

This article I found looks at 12 different reasons whey weight training is important for females as well as men. Women who use weights along with a cardio workout burn more calories, lose more fat and reduce their weight size faster. Find out the important reasons why women need weight training just as much as men.

1. You’ll lose 40 percent more fat.

If you think cardio is the key to blasting belly fat, keep reading: When Penn State researchers put dieters into three groups—no exercise, aerobic exercise only, or aerobic exercise and weight training—they all lost around 21 pounds, but the lifters shed six more pounds of fat than those who didn’t pump iron. Why? The lifters’ loss was almost pure fat; the others lost fat and muscle.

Other research on dieters who don’t lift shows that, on average, 75 percent of their weight loss is from fat, while 25 percent is from muscle. Muscle loss may drop your scale weight, but it doesn’t improve your reflection in the mirror and it makes you more likely to gain back the flab you lost. However, if you weight train as you diet, you’ll protect your hard-earned muscle and burn more fat.

2. Your clothes will fit better.

Research shows that between the ages of 30 and 50, you’ll likely lose 10 percent of your body’s total muscle. Worse yet, it’s likely to be replaced by fat over time, says a study. And that increases your waist size, because one pound of fat takes up 18 percent more space than one pound of muscle.

3. You’ll burn more calories.

Lifting increases the number of calories you burn while your butt is parked on the couch. That’s because after each strength workout, your muscles need energy to repair their fibers. In fact, researchers found that when people did a total-body workout with just three big-muscle moves, their metabolisms were raised for 39 hours afterward. They also burned a greater percentage of calories from fat compared with those who didn’t lift.

Lifting gives you a better burn during exercise too: Doing a circuit of eight moves (which takes about eight minutes) can expend 159 to 231 calories. That’s about what you’d burn if you ran at a 10-mile-per-hour pace for the same duration.

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Four Reasons to Train with a Partner

You’ll be more motivated
Don’t feel like working out after work? It’s one thing to cancel plans with yourself but it’s another to cancel on your friend—someone who’s counting on you. You’re much more likely to meet your friend for a planned workout session at a specific time rather than tentative plans you made yourself. Working out with a partner makes you more accountable.

You’ll work out harder
Whenever you’re working out with someone else the intensity can be greater than when you are alone because you don’t want to be the weak one who can’t keep up. One key tip when picking a workout partner: Your fitness levels should be close to the same. A more seasoned gym-goer won’t get as much out of exercising with a beginner. If you’re on the same level, the two of you can push each other instead of one person getting left behind.

You’ll finally be able to afford a personal trainer
Sharing a cheeseburger is cheaper than buying one yourself. The same math applies when it comes to a personal trainer. At Fit Happens we have a 2 for 1 promotion for personal training. Any two people can purchase a personal training package and work out together for the price of one. On average that’s a savings of over $200 per package.

Workouts are more fun
For most people, working out alone can be tedious or boring. Working out with a partner or in a group setting can help keep some people motivated. It will also help you get more excited about going to the gym. If a group setting is what you’re looking for, Fit Happens has a number of fitness classes including Spinning, as well as a Beginners Weight Training class and a Mixed Martial Arts Boot Camp. If you’re new to the gym and want to learn the right way to work out, the Beginners program is for you. On the other hand, if you want to be pushed more and are looking for a challenging, unique workout, the MMA Boot Camp is something you should look into.

Want to Burn More Fat?

Two University studies reveal 2 tips for burning more fat during, and after, your workout.

The Yale University School of Medicine reports that people who run at least 4 hours a week burn more calories than non-runners, even when not running.

And a study from the College of New Jersey concluded that working out harder during the first half of your workout than the second half burns up to 23% more fat than doing the opposite.

We can all use tips to help us maximize our workouts and get the results we want.  What are some workout tips that work for you?

Ten Good Foods for Your Heart

You don’t need to eat things that taste bad in order to stay healthy. This article lists 10 foods that are good for the heart and they include tasty options like berries, nuts and salmon. People who don’t eat healthy usually do it because it’s part of their routine, not because there aren’t enough good tasting foods. Once you start eating healthier foods, soon that will become your routine. Give it a try.

Nuts
Walnuts are full of omega-3 fatty acids and, along with almonds and macadamia nuts, are loaded with mono- and polyunsaturated fat. Plus, nuts increase fiber in the diet, says Dr. Sinatra. “And like olive oil, they are a great source of healthy fat.”

Berries
Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries—whatever berry you like best—are full of anti-inflammatories, which reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.

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How Healthy Is Fast Food Oatmeal?

The new fast food rage seems to be oatmeal.  Several chains are carrying their version of the super food… McDonalds, Starbucks and Au Bon Pain to name a few.

Oatmeal is rich in B vitamins, antioxidants, fiber and protein. However, it is probably best known for its ability to help lower your cholesterol. But does the fast food version live up to oatmeal’s great reputation?

Let’s look at McDonald’s oatmeal.  They offer a Maple Oatmeal with fruit and brown sugar. It has 290 calories, 5 grams of fat and 5 grams of protein. You can cut out the brown sugar and save 30 calories and 14 grams of sugar. Not bad. What everyone doesn’t know is that this same oatmeal is available all day, completely plain.  So if you wanted to add your own favorite toppings and keep track of the nutrition and calories, that’s a great option.

I for one am happy to see fast food chains offering healthier options.  Just be careful not to add so many extras to your oatmeal that it becomes more of a “sundae” than a healthy breakfast!

Get Moving at Fit Happens

Staying fit not only helps strengthen your heart, but it also strengthens your body and your sense of well being. Being active for at least 30 minutes a day can help control blood pressure, manage weight loss, strengthen muscles, relieve stress and help you sleep better. What more could you ask for? Come in out of the cold and get moving at Fit Happens!

Superbowl Bloat?

Indulged a little too much last night? Don’t be discouraged…today is a new day. Add a few more minutes to your workout at the gym and eat better today. Don’t overreact by starving yourself, it will only slow down your metabolism and backfire on you.  Instead, go shopping  for healthy food and plan nutritious meals for the week. If at all possible, prepare a few meals ahead of time to prevent you from binge eating or ordering take-out after a busy day at work.

Six Calorie Burning Workouts

You can do a ton of different things to burn calories but some exercises are better than others. This article lists six really good workouts to burn calories. Tops on the list is kickboxing. As anyone who trains with me can tell you, I’m a huge believer in any kind of boxing/kickboxing workout. It really gets the heart pumping and metabolism going, which is how you lose weight. Zumba, a Fit Happens favorite, came in at No. 3.

1.    Kickboxing: 800 calories per hour
Kickboxing offers a great full-body workout because it requires you to use every major muscle group and includes interval training. Your heart rate will soar and stabilize several times throughout the class, which is optimal for weight loss. 24 Hour Fitness clubs report that attendees of their Turbo Kick classes can burn up to 800 calories in one hour-long class.

3.    Zumba: 500 or more calories per hour
Who knew an hour of dancing could produce such results?! Because this Latin-inspired dance workout uses the principles of interval training and resistance exercise, the workout will boost your metabolism considerably, according to FitnessZumba.com.  However, like any fitness regimen, the number of calories burned varies from person to person depending on weight, sex, current fitness level, and how a hard a person works out. Still the massive weight loss and toning benefits of hip-swishing and shimmying make this dance workout one of the most popular today.

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Do crunches burn stomach fat?

Diet and excercise fads abound, but the simple truth is… in order to burn fat (including stomach fat) you need to burn more calories than you comsume. You can achieve this several ways…excercising more, eating less, or ideally, excercising more AND eating less.

A common misconception is that you must excercise a specific part of the body to burn fat off  of that body part.  In reality, pretty much any excercise you do has the potential to burn fat.  And although you can decrease your overall body fat,  you can’t pick and choose what area that fat will come off from.

But don’t dismay…loss of body fat will eventually show up where you want it most…your abs!

Does Cold Weather Help you Burn Fat?

“Before you curse the weather gods for yet another snow storm, there might be an upside if you’re looking for a weight loss boost.
According to a recent article in Obesity Reviews, researchers have found that cooler external temperatures force our bodies to burn more energy to keep warm. Dr. Fiona Johnson of the University College London and her colleagues believe that higher indoor temperatures and reduced exposure to cold may be a contributor to rising obesity rates.” Read more…