LADIES LIFT! DONT WORRY YOU WON’T BULK UP

Whenever I ask my female clients about their fitness goals the answer is usually the same, “I want to tone up and lose weight”. They also say, “I don’t want to bulk up so I don’t want to lift too much or do heavy weights.

Firstly I want to clarify that women will not bulk up by doing weight training. The reason behind this is testosterone. Testosterone is responsible for building muscle, women have 15-20 times less testosterone than men, and therefore women are not as well equipped to gain muscle and will not gain muscle as a man does.

The side effect of the fear of bulk-up is that most women don’t do strength training, and instead mainly focus on cardio. Cardio is good for your heart, lungs and endurance etc, but it is a only a part of what should be your total workout. It is very hard to tone up arms, legs, abs or any other part of the body and lose fat without weight training. Strength training is one of the healthiest thing anyone can do, especially women.

Here is the main benefits of strength training for women:

• Strength training increases your metabolism and BMR (basal metabolic rate) so that you burn more calories 24/7. Calculate your BMR here http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator

·       Increases lean muscle tissue which builds strength and endurance

·       Losing fat and toning up.

·       Strengthens your bones reducing your risk of developing osteoporosis

·       Improves posture

·       Increases energy levels and mood through the release of brain - chemicals that reduce anxiety and chronic illnesses.

So ladies do not feel intimidated by the weights area, by mixing up your training and adding in weights you will start to see results quicker than just doing cardio. I personally run a Circuit Class in Fleet every Wednesday that involves a series of different weights and bodyweight movements that are perfect for helping men and women gain fitness and muscle.

Start your day off right.

Starting our day with a good breakfast is one of the best health decisions you can make. Breakfast literally means ‘breaking your overnight fast’. Remember it could be up to 8-10 hours since your last meal, so it is important to re-fuel your body for the coming day.

The next time you rush out the door in the morning without something to eat, think this; skipping breakfast can set you up for overeating later in the day. A healthy morning meal on the other hand, can give you energy, satisfy your appetite, and keep you focused throughout the day.

Eating in the morning, and what you eat, is important for setting your blood-sugar pattern for the rest of the day. If you eat something that is whole grain and has some fat and protein to it, your blood sugar is going to rise slowly and go down slowly. If you eat something refined, like a sweet cinnamon roll, that’s the worst thing you can eat, you get an insulin spike, and then your blood sugar drops too low so you get hungry again. This is why people get into a cycle of overeating junk.

To ease your body into a more consistent blood-sugar pattern, try some porridge, whole-wheat toast with almond butter, or an omelette with spinach and avocado. These examples of different breakfast meals contain a good balance between carbs, fibre and protein which our body needs.

A lot of people eat fortified cereals such as corn flakes, frosties or special k as an easy way of eating breakfast. However, these are packed full with sugar and offer our body little to no nutritional value, so personally I’d say ditch them completely. Fruit is also high in fructose (sugar) so on its own can lead to insulin spikes, however if you combine fruit with some natural yogurt and a handful of nuts you will then have a nice balance of vitamins, fibre and protein.

Just remember, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, don’t skip it!!