Strength Training: Not Just For Men

So many women who are looking to lose weight and get in shape avoid strength training out of fear of bulking up. They don't want the masculine appearance of muscles and assume that their bodies will look just like that of a man's if they participate in strength training on a regular basis. This is a myth!

In fact, not only will you not bulk up you will actually increase your metabolism, look slimmer, feel better and even lose weight much quicker than you would without it. The common fear is that gaining muscles will cause you to gain weight, but the opposite is true. The more muscle you gain the more calories your body burns even while resting. Adding just 5 lbs. a muscle is an extra 250 calories a day that your body will burn.

Muscle replaces fat and takes up less room in your body. Two women can weigh exactly the same, but one woman can be dramatically thinner even if they are the same height. The difference is, the more muscles a woman has in place of fat the smaller and tighter her body is. Extra muscle is the path to truly changing the way your body works in a positive way.

What should you be working on? Specifically your body is broken into three regions for strength training. Your upper body, core and lower body all need to be worked in order to gain overall muscle with maximum benefits.

Your upper body is made up of your arms, shoulders, upper back, neck and chest. You can work with free weights or machines to target these specific body parts. The bench press is one obvious method for targeting your chest muscle.

Your lower body is made up of your hamstrings, quads, calves and tibialis and these parts can be worked with lunges, squats, the leg press machine, and leg raises. The more muscle you have in your legs the easier it will be to accomplish rigorous aerobic exercises.

And finally, your core is made up of your lower back, obliques, hips and groin. These areas can be worked with crunches, back extensions and other machines that target these regions. Core strength is essential for preventing injury.

Always remember to give your body time to rest in between strength training sessions so that you can build new muscles. New muscles cannot grow if you continue to break them down, the healing process and the aches you have after a workout are actually good things!

Your body is building new muscle and growing! Each time that you do strength training try to push yourself using weights that actually challenge your body. It's a big mistake to lift light weights many times instead of heavy weights a few times. A higher weight lifted combined with fewer reps will ensure muscle growth. Make sure that you always increase the amount of weight you are lifting to challenge your body and always separate your regional workouts. Never do two upper body workouts in a row, it is important to mix them up.

About the Author:

Fat Loss 4 Idiots is the recommended diet plan by Sarah Elena Elliott.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Strength Training: Not Just For Men

Image courtesy of LetMeGrowStudio.net

From Jeff

When you tackle your health and fitness goals with the same level of intensity and tenacity you apply to maintaining your present standard of living, you will meet with similar success - an investment in the quality of the rest of your life. Now what could be a wiser investment than that?

I am a certified and insured personal trainer with over ten years experience helping others achieve their individual health and fitness goals through developing and administering cutting edge, exciting and effective training programs. It is my mission to enhance your quality of life through promoting and encouraging healthier living habits, including the importance of proper nutrition and regular exercise.

Whether your goals involve weight loss, strength training, cardiovascular improvement, increased flexibility, decreased stress, or general fitness, I can prepare a customized training program for you and train you in the comfort of your home, office, or fitness facility. Boxing, boot camp, mountain biking, and active isolated stretching are among the myriad of activities offered.

If improving your health through fitness is of interest to you, contact me to schedule a free initial fitness assessment, which includes skin fold body composition analysis, blood pressure reading, target heart rate calculation, body circumference measurements, core/upper body strength & cardiovascular fitness level assessment. This information is required in order to design an appropriate program and help set fitness goals.

For more information on our programs and services and to schedule a free initial fitness evaluation, contact me directly at:
Chizeled Physiques
786.439.9498
info@chizeled.net

Good luck and good health,


Jeff Mendoza, CPT, HFS

FAT VERSUS LEAN BODY MASS

The scale is NOT a true indicator of whether or not you are losing fat. Your weight is divided into two separate and distinct groups: fat and lean body mass. Let's elaborate briefly on the two...

FAT: In a nutshell, fat is stored energy for the day you have no food. Waaaaaaay back in the caveman days, we hunted for our meals and had no idea where (or when) the next piece of food was coming from. Consequently, we evolved into creatures that stored excess calories in preparation for those lapses in feeding. Fat is what excess calories are converted to for storage. Fast forward to today and guess what --- there's food EVERYWHERE! We consume so many excess calories that we (get this) BECOME OVERWEIGHT!!! All this excess energy is metabolically inactive (i.e, not living tissue)-- that is, fat does not require any energy to survive in your body.

LEAN BODY MASS: This one is easy to explain -- lean body mass is everything in your body that is not fat. Skin, muscle, bone, organs -- all these things are metabolically active (i.e., living) tissue and thus require calories to exist.

Considering the aforementioned, it stands to reason that the more lean body mass we have on our body, the more calories we will burn each day. When you start burning more calories than you eat every day, you will force your body to dip into that storage bin of energy called "fat."

Once we reach adulthood, the only aspect of lean body mass that we can increase is muscle. This is why resistance training is just as important as cardiovascular training when fat loss is one's goal. This is also why we cannot rely solely on the scale in determining whether we are losing fat. Body composition assessments distinguish between fat and lean body mass and therefore serve and a more accurate indicator of fat loss, muscle increase, or both.

In my next posting, I will go into detail about the various methods used to perform body composition assessments.

Why Evaluations are so important? :)

March 18, 2007

Attached please find the results of you initial fitness evaluation...

What I want you to realize is that we are trying to lose fat without losing any muscle mass. This is why it is important to measure bodyfat. It is also why it is important to use a heart rate monitor.

At present, 32.1% of your total weight is fat. Consequently, the American Council on Exercise classifies you as obese. In order to get you out of the "obese" category and into the "acceptable" category, We must get you down to 221 pounds without losing any muscle mass.

So in essense our short-term goal will be for you to lose 26.6 pounds.

This can realistically be accomplished between 13 and 26 weeks. As we work together, I will explain the reasoning behind this and steps you can take to ensure you are doing everything you need to to stay on track.

I look forward to working with you.

Jeff Mendoza, CPT, HFS


May 8, 2007

The following are significant changes since your previous evaluation:

• Overall weight decreased by 5 lbs.
• Bodyfat decreased by 1% (i.e., 4lbs.)
  
• Lean body mass decreased by 1lb.
• ALL circumference measurements except the waist decreased.
• Exercise heart rate decreased significantly
• Recovery heart rate decreased significantly
• Upper body strength increased
• Flexibility improved
  

Cesar, you improved in EVERY area except one....... you lost one pound of muscle. But you know what? I am not worried about that . All that means is that you have been pushing yourself perhaps a little too much. When you consider that our present focus is to lose fat, I can live with a loss of a pound of muscle -- for now.

I am EXTREMELY proud of your efforts and honored to be a part of this change in your life. Keep up the good work... for there is still much work to do.

Respectfully,

Jeff MEndoza, CPT, HFS

Clients' Testimonials

FAT LOSS/FLEXIBILTY
“Jeff has helped me vastly improve my fitness level and I feel stronger and more energetic - plus I fit in my old clothes again! I have worked with him for over six months and he has helped to increase my flexibility as well as balance. His workouts are challenging, creative, personalized and always fun. The workout routines are varied enough so it does not get boring. When I began, I had 30% body fat; after few months of working out with Jeff, my body fat dropped to 21%”.
Julie Chen (age 32), C.P.A., C.B.


CARDIOVASCULAR TRAINING
“Being a ballet dancer for over 18 years has enabled me to become in tune with my body. However, I always had the mind set that health equaled skinny. I never imagined the benefits I would receive from strength and cardiovascular training. Ever since I began training with Jeff, I have discovered different ways to challenge my body. As a result, I am fit, stronger, healthier and most importantly: happier. I always look forward to my training sessions, for every session is different, fun and full of challenges. I look at myself in the mirror and see a girl that is confident and comfortable with her body.” Aimee Prieto (age 23), College Student


STRENGTH TRAINING
"Not only does Jeff have a sincere interest in my fitness goals but he also has the expertise to turn them into a reality. In the short time I have been training with Jeff, I have lost 15 lbs. of fat and am making significant strength gains every month. Jeff workouts are motivational, creative, educational and fun. His holistic approach encompasses everything from proper nutrition, proper technique, and flexibility to avoiding injury. His attentive and customized approach has empowered me to achieve a level of health and well-being that I could not have reached on my own. Thanks Jeff!"
Cordis Murillo (age 40), District Sales Mgr.

You don’t need to be a celebrity to have a personal trainer…
Whether your goal is to get in shape for a special occasion or improve your body strength, Chizeled Physiques will help you reach it.
· Nationally certified personal trainer (English – Spanish)
· Hourly rates; no additional fees
· Train by appointment in the comfort of your home or clubhouse/gym facility-- no crowds

Schedule your FREE consultation and
*Fitness Assessments today to explore how we can assist you!
Jeff Mendoza - Personal Trainer
chizeledphysiques@yahoo.com
(786) 439-9498

Serving South Florida area only. All ages and levels are welcome, 30 minute and 60 minute one on one, partner, and group sessions are available.

*The fitness assessment will determine the following:
weight, body fat, blood pressure, resting heart rate, target heart rate, body circumference measurements, core strength, upper body strength & endurance. This information will be used to design an appropriate program and set your goals.

Abs article

It’s a generally accepted truth that the defining characteristic of a fit individual is a toned midsection. Aesthetically speaking of course, a person might have big arms and legs, but without toned abs they do not appear fit! In this article, we will detail the muscles making up the midsection and explore what steps one might take to improve their overall appearance through core training.
The Abdominal muscles (or “abs” as they are generally referred to) are the only muscles of the body not directly supported by bone. The bicep, for example, is supported along its length by a bone called the humerus. Abdominal muscles are unique in that they form a crisscrossing pattern over the midsection in three layers to provide protection for the organs and facilitate movement of the torso.
The outermost layer of our abdominals is the external obliques. They arise from the eight lower ribs and attach either straight down to the iliac crest or diagonally across to an aponeurosis that stretches across the front of the abdomen. Contracting one side causes side bending or rotation on the opposite side. Contracting both causes flexion of the trunk.
The second later of the abdominals is comprised of both the external obliques and the rectus abdominis.
Also known as the ascending obliques, the internal obliques are under the external obliques but over the transverse abdominis. They arise from Poupart’s ligament, the iliac crest, and lumbar fascia and attach either horizontally into the linea alba or diagonally upward and inwards into the aponeurosis which divides the rectus abdominis. Contracting one side causes side bending or rotation on the same side. Contracting both causes flexion of the trunk.
The rectus abdominis is a long flat muscle that runs vertically down the front of the abdomen. Each side is divided by the linea alba and the number of segments on the rectus are determined by individual genetics. This muscle is mainly a flexor of the trunk
It is important to note that the rectus abdominis is ONE muscle and not six or eight little muscles. Therefore, it is anatomically impossible to develop the lower section of the rectus without developing the upper section. The lower section appears more difficult to develop because more fat accumulates in the region and thus muscular growth is more difficult to see.
The transverse abdominis are the deepest superficial abdominal muscle. They arise from Poupart’s ligament, the iliac crest, the lower ribs, and the lumbar fascia. The fibers mostly run horizontally across the abdomen to an aponeurosis. Contraction helps corset the spine and thus does not facilitate trunk movement.
Abs are no more difficult to develop than any other major muscle group in the body. However, they are difficult to see because the body tends to store more fat in that area. Consequently, one must be lean in order to see the muscle at all! This is accomplished through a combination of four distinct activities: strength training, cardiovascular exercise (of which the frequency, intensity, and duration is crucially important), a sound nutritional program, and adequate rest. Concentrating more on one area than another is a surefire path to failure. I encourage clients to train their abs up to three times a week – resting at least a day between training sessions.
I believe that educating clients on how their body works is a key component is helping them reach their fitness goals. As such, I am hopeful this article can help you along on the road to a more fit and healthy lifestyle. - BY JEFF MENDOZA, CPT, HFS

CP Gift Certificates

Give the gift of great health!
This is a great idea to help someone become motivated to start a fitness regime and get back into a healthy lifestyle.

Call now at 786-439-9498 to order 1-hour introductory, a package of 6 sessions or let us create a customized fitness program for your loved one.
Gift certificates do not expire, and are completely transferrable.

Home gym design

Home/office gym design - for those people who are short on time or have a hectic schedule and want the availability of a gym 24 hours a day seven days a week.

Every home gym should include basic components for both aerobic and strength training.
Chizeled Physiques guidelines can assist you to suit the needs of your space, fitness goals and how to properly use all equipment.

You can make an appointment for a home visit or an in-store demonstration.

THE BENEFITS

No Gym Fees

Schedule your own workouts

No driving to a gym

No sharing sweaty equipment

Listen to your own music

Getting your family to exercise with you