Strength Training

Also called: Resistance Training, Weight Training

Strength Training Basics

Strength training (or lifting weights) hardly sounds like a glamorous activity, but those whose job it is to look fabulous (like movie stars and models) know it's one of the best methods for getting a tight, sculpted look.

Muscle-bound men grunting, the clink of iron on iron, sweat – these are the sights, sounds and smells often associated with gyms and strength training. The truth is, anyone and everyone can and should lift weights if they’re serious about getting in shape and losing weight.

Strength training uses either specially designed machines or free weights (steel disks, long bars and short bars). Home exercises can also use exercise tubes or bands to simulate the resistance of real weight. You can use this equipment to strengthen and reshape every area of your body.

Upside of Strength Training

Is there any other single workout that can increases bone density and muscle mass, helps improve athletic performance, sustain your metabolism so you continue to burn more fat and calories (this is especially important as you age or when you’re dieting), perk up your posture, boost your confidence and make you feel better about yourself?
All gyms and even the most basic exercise rooms in hotels have some weights, making it a workout you can do on the road.
Even a minimal investment in a few dumbbells or some rubber exercise tubing can get you started with strength training at home.

Downside of Strength Training

Gym memberships can be expensive, and home strength training equipment is not always of high quality.
If you've never lifted before, you're probably going to need a few personal training sessions, which can run $50 to $150 an hour.
At home space may be tight or you may have young children running around so having to store a bunch of weight equipment is not always ideal.

Is Strength Training for You?

This chart can help you see how strength training fits your goals and lifestyle concerns.

Body Parts Worked	Whichever ones you want
Calories Burned	About 205 an hour for a 150-pound person, 275 for a 200-pound person. Much more if you go high intensity.
Gear	Free weights, weight machines, exercise bands or anything else that provides resistance for your muscles to work against. Weight lifting gloves are optional.
Location	Home or gym
Time	Two times a week, 20 minutes per session is all you need to reap the basic benefits. You'll need to do more if your goal is to reshape your body.
Schedule/Flexibility	The basics can be done whenever and wherever you can find anything that provides resistance for your muscles to work against.

Strength Training Tips

Machines are better for isolating individual muscle groups, whereas free weights are better for working several different muscle groups at once.
The number of sets and reps you do, and the amount of weights you lift, depends on your goals. For general health and body sculpting purposes, you should aim for 1 to 3 sets of 8 to 15 reps, using a moderately heavy weight.
You must either join a gym or purchase your own equipment.
It's a good idea to get some personal instruction or to purchase a basic strength training book or DVD as an introduction to strength training.

Liz Neporent, MA on Strength Training

Balance is a key factor for strength training. Balance in this case refers to the strength balance between opposite muscles and your right and left sides.

Opposite muscles refers to paired muscle groups, such as your biceps and triceps on your upper arms or your quadriceps and hamstrings on your thighs. Working one set of these muscles while neglecting the other may lead to injury.

It’s also important that you have roughly equal strength on both your right and left sides. While they don’t need to be exactly the same, they should be pretty close.

iVillagers on Strength Training

"Weight training has given me a whole new body! I lost 28 pounds, went from a size 12 to a 4 and have maintained my current weight of 119 for the last eight months. I'm a 43-year-old mother of three boys and I feel great." --iVillager dlchamp3006

"I have been doing basic arm weight training every day for a couple of months and I do not like how my breasts have been changing due to the exercises. They look misshapen and smaller than before." --iVillager ammy1979

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