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Here’s the tea ladies…
Strength training is THE key ingredient for you to be in the shape that you dream of.
That’s truly the bottom line, BUT there is more to it.
I’ll explain...
First, let’s review a few things to better understand the big picture…
Our Bodyweight= Simply a tracking measurement of our body’s total mass, what we are filled with: our organs, muscle, fat & fluid.
Our Body composition= The percentages of the amount of fat, bone, water, and muscle in our body.
Our Resting metabolic rate= (RMR) the amount of energy (fuel/calories) that our body needs to function while AT REST.
Our Metabolism= The rate at which our body turns fuel/ food into energy.
“How do I get my body to be lean, especially here *points to area*, and here *points to area*?”
“Can I just do yoga or Pilates and still be lean and muscular?”
“Is this going to make me big and bulky?”
“How do I become slim AND lean? I don’t want to be skinny fat.”
“If I just stick with light weights, I can still hit my goals, right?”
“How many times a week should I be doing core work?”
These are questions that I get asked ALL of the time from both clients and non-clients.
Let’s unpack this…
The amount of muscle mass we have on our body plays a huge (if not the biggest) role in determining how fast or slow our metabolism is and what our RMR is. In other words, the more muscle we are made up of, the more our body naturally burns calories at rest (breathing + basic daily movements).
Which means, we want to make sure that the way we are training and eating supports building a strong muscular foundation + maintaining it with proper fuel.
The way that we grow muscle is awesome, it goes like this:
We exert stress on our muscles through intense/ challenging exercise
This causes damage to our muscle fibers
When we rest and recover, our body repairs our muscles by rebuilding them stronger than they were before by laying more proteins per muscle fiber (hence why we need to consume enough protein for muscle repair and rebuild).
Therefore, we need to be stressing out our muscles in a way that’s going to challenge them enough to be repaired stronger. Which looks something like this:
Performing an exercise with a weight almost to the point where you can do no more
Performing lighter or bodyweight exercises to the point of almost failure which typically consists of more reps, added band resistance or a tempo change.
“Nothing matches strength training for the potential size and strength of muscles that have rebounded.” -Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
The point is, in order for us to build our muscle mass, we need to push our body to challenging lengths so that we can reap the incredible benefits that come with that hard work.
When we are able to do this, we not only boost our metabolism before, during AND after a workout, but we also build muscle + burn fat. Which is the exact recipe for being lean, (if that’s your goal).
The HUGE difference between strength training and cardio/aerobic exercise:
When we strength train (anaerobic) we burn exclusively fat
When we do cardio (aerobic) we burn fat AND muscle
So, we need to be asking ourselves; “Am I challenging my body enough + being intentional with the training that I am doing, to reach the goals I want to reach?”
Another bonus to strength training is that, when we lift heavy weights, we are consistently engaging our core (if performed properly). Therefore, we don’t need to set aside tremendous extra time in our training for specific “core work”. In a University of Alabama study, they found that weight training proved to aid in the loss of more abdominal fat specifically + create a more toned body compared to only cardio/ aerobic exercises.
(Caveat here: our bodies do eventually adapt to whatever it is we are doing, so it's important to continue progressing and building on our training.)
That being said, I’m not suggesting that you drop everything you are currently doing and devote the rest of your training to becoming a meathead at the gym. I AM encouraging you to see and be open to understanding the awesome benefits that strength training has for our health + pairing weight training WITH your favorite activities to compliment your overall training (i.e. yoga, hiking, pilates, cycling, running, swimming).
That is something I truly enjoy teaching to my clients, integrating training that you need AND movement activities that you enjoy doing to design a sustainable training schedule that is in alignment with your goals.
It’s easy to forget how much we lift on a daily basis: groceries, kids, furniture…the list could go on. Even if what we are lifting doesn’t look like the weights at the gym, that doesn’t mean that we aren’t moving a decent volume of weight weekly outside of our training. So, why not better equip ourselves for that AND more by training our bodies for the weight of life itself.
In regards to fear of becoming “bulky/ thicker”…
Will strength training change your body? Absolutely.
Are you going to quickly resemble a professional Crossfit athlete? No.
Here’s a few reasons why:
In order to look like that, they are training 20+ hours a week (it’s a job)
They are eating a tremendous amount of food to keep up with their training (energy in vs. energy exerted)
They have a very specific goal and are very intentional about training for exactly what they need their body to do, so, the way that their body looks comes with that territory
Here’s where the unintentional “bulk or thickness” can come from:
As we train and begin to build muscle our body’s will demand more energy/ fuel. If we don’t have a solid game plan with our nutrition and aren’t intentional with how we are training, recovering, and refueling, then yes, we will most definitely gain in a way that is not very lean.
Things we can do to curb this:
Stay moving, keep your NEAT (Non-exercise activity thermogenesis) high.
Practice rest for your body and brain. Whether through meditation or any activity that brings you physical and mental peace. Reducing stress and getting enough sleep is KEY. Stress slows our metabolism and spikes our cortisol levels (which can lead to weight gain; women are more susceptible to this).
Expose yourself to natural light, vitamin D baby! This helps to keep our hormones balanced and has also proved to keep our appetite regular and our metabolism running smoothly.
Consuming enough protein. Protein takes more energy for the body to digest (compared to carbs/ fat). When we don’t get enough protein, our body is more likely to turn excess calories from the other foods we have consumed into fat.
Having an intentional plan of action for our training and nutrition in regards to our specific goals + guidance from a coach that has YOUR best interest in mind.
On that last note, I would like to really ring home how important it is for you to do some deep thinking about what it is that you want to get out of your training/ health and wellness journey.
What is your ultimate goal? Your personal ideal?
Invest the time to think about exactly what the ideal version of yourself is doing, what she feels like and looks like.
Then, commit to pursuing the best version of yourself.
Your wellness journey can be, and should be enjoyed.
I’m here to help when you are ready,
Candice