The facts
Strength training does not make you ‘big’. To get big muscles you need to train a lot, very hard and with very heavy weights and you also need testosterone. This is hard enough for men and extremely difficult for women.
Muscle is denser than fat, as it stores water and energy. Pay more attention to body measurements or clothing size than weight.
Muscle is an ‘expensive’ tissue; it raises your metabolism and burns more energy (and fat) all day, which is great for weight loss.
Protein builds and repairs muscles and carbohydrates provide exercise energy, so eat enough quality sources of both.Gallery:12 exercises for strength training at home
Strength training works only the specific muscles used in an exercise and not fat stored on top. There is no such thing as spot reduction; strength training makes you tighter, firmer, stronger and shapelier. Fat loss is a result of negative energy balance, that is using more energy than you eat and genetics and hormones determine the pattern in which fat is lost.
Strength training gives women, gorgeous firm curves, toned limbs, lots of energy and prevents bone density and muscle tissue loss which otherwise decline after mid twenties.
Resistance training, strength training, weight lifting are all similar terms meaning pushing or pulling against a force which could be water resistance, body weight or dumbbells against gravity or pulleys or hydraulics on a machine.
Gallery: 12 exercises for strength training at home
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Tips for effective training
You can do a huge range of exercises just with your body for starters. Some of the best bodies in the world are trained mostly with body weight; those of dancers, gymnasts and martial artists.
Basic equipment enhances training effects. Start with light weights and more repetitions for safety.
You can use dumbbells or plastic milk bottles with handles filled with water or sand.
Always lean proper form to prevent injury; try books, the internet or ask an expert.
Perform exercises in front of a mirror to ensure proper form. If anything hurts stop and seek medical advice.
Always do strength training slowly and under control. Speed and swinging risks injury.
Don’t hold your breathe while doing exercises.
For fast, effective workouts, mix exercises up, rest less and perform more than one at a time, such as a squat with a bicep curl. It raises your heart rate and burns more kilojoules.
Remember to stretch; Flexibility training is essential for range of motion, injury prevention and relaxation.
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