Lifting Weights Is Not Just For Bodybuilders

Weightlifting is not a sport restricted to bodybuilders, although this is a common misconception. In actual fact, lifting weights on a regular basis can help build muscle, an increase in which will help you lose weight! This is because a pound of muscle burns around 12 times more calories than fat.

Should you just wish to tone your muscles, rather than build them up, then lifting weights which are much lighter will help you do the trick. For many women, lifting very light weights such as half a kilo or one kilo doesn’t seem to make any difference from the outset. However, after a short period of time, they notice their biceps looking much more sculpted.

Of course, lifting weights as a form of toning only works if you have already removed the fat. If the excess fat is still there – meaning if you still have flabby arms, shall we say – then you will not notice any difference, but you will feel it.

Lifting weights is a deceptive sport. Whereas sports such as running or swimming seem to require more energy, weightlifting will burn more calories in one session than either of them, provided the amount of weights lifted is correct.

Common areas that people want to focus on are shoulders, arms, legs, back, and chest, and there are specific lifting weights exercises that have been created in order to work these areas out more. Probably the most well-known of these exercises is for the biceps: dumbbell curls.

It is very easy for over-ambitious people to try lifting weights too heavy for them. Should you do this, you increase the chances of you doing yourself a bad injury, more than likely concerning your back. Unfortunately, once you have damaged you back, there is no way to fix it, so the utmost of care should be taken when lifting weights.

Interestingly enough, studies completed in the US showed that men and women alike, when asked to choose the weight they believed to be appropriate for them, opted for weights that were significantly less than what they would ideally need to burn fat.

With women traditionally shying away from weight training and lifting weights, newer franchised gyms – geared solely and specifically for women – have sprung up internationally to promote weight lifting and circuit training with incredible success.

One major reason for this is that until now, lifting weights has had a stigma attached to it. Whether it was because of fear of becoming bulky or getting hurt, women generally stayed away from this type of exercise, favouring aerobics or pilates instead.

What is generally unknown amongst fad dieters and yoyo exercisers is that lifting heavy weights is an excellent way to burn fat in a relatively short amount of time.

The heavier the weight, the better it is for burning fat, though it does take some time to get used to the feel of the weights and therefore become able to judge what weight you should be lifting.

Lifting weights is one of the secrets to losing weight. With just two workouts a week you will notice a significant difference in your overall shape, and over time, particularly in women, lifting weights decreases their likelihood of contracting osteoporosis.

The best thing about lifting weights is that for the simple exercises you don’t really have to join a gym, as it’s just as easy to do them at home. In addition, a set of weights in a good investment, as they can be used repeatedly and by other members of the family.

Lifting weights is a deceptive sport. Whereas sports such as running or swimming seem to require more energy, weightlifting will burn more calories in one session than either of them, provided the amount of weights lifted is correct.

Get in touch with the industry experts at http://www.weightlossfatburnersecrets.com for more help. Steve Magill has written several articles with regard to the weightloss business. As a Fellow in the (FBAE) he is considered an expert consultant when it comes to helping people to lose weight.

Article Source: http://www.positivearticles.com. PositiveArticles.Com does not vouch for or necessarily endorse the contents of this article.

If you are copying this article for publishing on a website or ezine, please use the "Ezine Ready" button from the righthand menu.