Weight Training

In order to achieve optimal health and fitness, I started doing cardio, particularly Zumba a few weeks ago, and loving it.

Now I'm seriously considering weight training along with cardio, as I've been told by experts that strength/weight training is the secret to an amazing body at any age. I used to think that weight training would make me 'big & bulky'. That is actually a myth. 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. 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.

I also learned that muscle is denser than fat, as it stores water and energy, and we should 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. Another fact is that protein builds and repairs muscles and carbohydrates provide exercise energy, so as we train we need to eat enough quality sources of both.

I am not actually into losing weight (as I'm not overweight at all), but I do want to be healthy, fit and well. I'd love to have firm curves, toned limbs, lots of energy and high bone density and muscle tissue which otherwise decline after mid twenties.