Fit and Youthful Life

Guest Author: Adam Khan


For many years, aerobic exercise was considered the optimal method for women attempting to lose weight. Using equipment such as stair climbers, treadmills, exercise bikes, etc. was thought to be the “ideal” way to lose weight.

Although aerobic exercise provides many benefits and is excellent for your heart and lungs, too much of it could hinder your efforts at losing body fat. Unfortunately, many women do not understand the true value of adding a weight resistance routine to their aerobic exercise program.

There are many popular myths on why women have turned away from using weights. Probably the most popular one is: “If I lift weights I will bulk up and look like a body builder.” This is far from the truth, as women do not have enough of the hormone called testosterone. Testosterone is dominant in males and is responsible for muscle growth. Therefore, because of hormone levels and women’s genetic makeup, it is very difficult for women to “bulk up.” In addition, women would have to train for hours on end and eat a very specific diet in order to look like a “bodybuilder.”

One of the reasons weight training will help women decrease their body fat and lose inches is because increasing the amount of muscle tissue raises metabolism. Muscle tissue is much more metabolically active than fat tissue; it burns 25% more calories than fat tissue. Men typically have an easier time than women losing fat because they ten to have more muscle overall.

Therefore, if you have been trying (unsuccessfully) to lose 10-15 pounds, despite all the hours spent on the stair climber or in step aerobics class, then try adding weight training to your workout. That simple change can help you break through the plateau you may have reached by performing only aerobic exercise.

It is important to note that you should not stop exercising aerobically, but maybe rethink putting 100% of your efforts into aerobic exercise alone. By adding weight training, you will lose inches, burn more fat and change the shape of your body. In addition, weight training helps build stronger bones to help protect you against osteoporosis, which is the degeneration of bone associated with insufficient calcium in the diet.

Strength training also has been shown to benefit individuals with certain types of arthritis. But one of the best benefits of weight training is a better quality of life. Everyday activities such as gardening, carrying groceries or playing with your children become easier. Life becomes more enjoyable and you feel more vibrant!

Therefore the best approach for people wishing to reduce their body fat is to incorporate aerobic exercise and strength training and follow a well-balanced, low fat high fiber diet. If strength training is new to you, follow the advice of a certified personal trainer. This will ensure that you are exercising safely and effectively. And as always, consult with your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Guest Author: Abhishek Agarwal


Those who concentrate on body building would know that weight training is surely an indispensable part of the work-out program. While it’s not the only part of the exercise regime of the individual, it culminates a majority of the same. However, with a strong and tested & tried weight training plan, the goals of body building become quite easier to achieve.

Here are a few tips you must know about weight training:

1. Weight training helps you work out some specific muscle groups. You must lift the weights in order to provide resistance to these specific areas.

2. Initially, you should aim for small and slowly go up to the large ones. This means that you must not jump on to heavy weight suddenly as this might lead to injuries. Initiate with a small weight that you may find difficult to lift initially but would get used to with practice. Then add it on further, smoothly.

3. While one is taking up weight training, he/she must ensure to focus well on the exercises that they perform as one’s form is as important as the amount of weight you lift. Pay attention and notice how the muscles are strained in weight training. Hence, also focus on the right way of performing the exercises and do perform them well by all means.

4. When it comes to doing the heavy lifting in weight training, safety is quite important. It is quite advisable to wear some safety gears while performing such exercises, for instance while doing dead lifts or the squats, you mainly strain your lower back. Try wearing a weight belt in order to minimize the risk of injuries. The weight belt provides a support to the lower back and keeps the spine aligned, hence, one can not perform any exercise improperly.

5. Weight training also yields to increase in the physical performance. Our muscles quite literally use the energy in order to produce movement, hence, functioning as an engine or a powerhouse for the body. The strength training program increases the muscles’ strength, size, endurance, etc. This further contributes to the improvement in our day-to-day work, sports & hobbies, etc.

6. Weight training also plays an essential role in enhancing one’s physical appearance. In weight training the body burns a lot of fats to get energy for lifting the weights. As you burn the fats, the body loses weight & the muscles get toned. Weight training prevents muscle loss, thereby, lead to non-flabby body. Of course, the resistance you get in the weight training would help you develop the muscles in new & exciting ways.

Guest Author: Kyle Oxenham


The common concept of weight training is that it is done to get really big muscles. What can people possibly get if they allow weight training classes for high school? Will they end up with high school kids that look like wrestlers? Or worse, end up with super buff high school kids that might wrestle their teachers if they fail an exam? How creepy!

Getting extra large muscles is not the only thing about weight training. You can use weight training to have larger muscles. You can stop or stick to your regimen without increasing your repetitions or weights if you are satisfied with your size. Weight training for high school can easily become part of the curriculum such as swimming and wrestling. These sports are equally as dangerous as the others.

But mind you, weight training can be one of the safest exercises around. Weight trainers just need to carefully follow instructions to avoid any injuries. This will not be a problem to highschool students since coaches will be around to observe the students progress. Speaking of progress, weight training in highschool will stick to easier routines and lesser weights. For short, beginners! It will be foolish to let highschool students jump into an advanced class because weight training is like climbing a ladder, you have to be at the bottom before you finally reach the top.

Aside from getting toned muscles, weight training will teach students more about self discipline, endurance and patience. Why these three? Self discipline because the exercise has to be done properly. Students have to follow the correct body posture. Even spreading the weight all over your body can be called cheating. So, if an exercise is for a particular muscle that should be the only muscle thats worked on and nothing else. The exercise is designed to tests your strengths and limits. Sometimes it is near impossible to complete the exercise as you reach the end. Students endurance will be tested. Weight training will also teach them patience because larger muscles do not just grow overnight.

Can weight training in high school teach them more? Yes! Weight training will inculcate these three values in students but there are more that they will find out for themselves. Once classes are done or the students have graduated, they will find out that, not only did they undergo physical changes because of weight training but they also had changes in the inside that they can bring with them and use it in life.



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