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Resistance Training Strength Building for Improved Health

While writing this article, I thought of several titles, all of which could be appropriate: "Confessions of a (former) Cardio-Junkie," "Why Walking Doesn't Work for Weight Loss," and "I Owe Cheryl an Apology." (I'll explain the last one in a moment.) The bottom-line is that weight loss requires strength training – and I'm here to prove it.

Owning a weight loss business is absolutely amazing. Each day, I have the privilege of working with wonderful people who want to change their lives. Their stories are as heartwarming and inspirational as those on the Biggest Loser. Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry. As a registered dietitian, I get to teach them great things about what good nutrition can do for their bodies. As a personal trainer, I get to help them achieve their exercise goals. And, as an EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) practitioner, I get to share in their joy as they overcome their emotional triggers for overeating and not exercising.

You can incorporate the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for adding strength training to your regular workout regimen! Try these important tips: -Perform a minimum of eight to 10 repetitions of any given exercise for each of your major muscle groups. -Perform strength training exercises at least two times per week, with some time in between workouts for recovery. -Maintain a normal breathing pattern. -Use combination moves. Try to implement exercises that use multiple muscles at one time.

There's also the flip-side. My shopping cart is scrutinized at the grocery store. People give me funny looks at fast-food restaurants. And people notice my weight. I remember having a lady at the grocery store approach me to comment that – "no offense" – I didn't look "nearly as big as I did on TV." (I think that was a compliment?) Now, don't get me wrong, these aren't all bad things. They help keep me on my toes and force me to continually research what works and what doesn't work for weight loss.

What I've discovered in the past several years is that everyone needs strength training to lose weight. Cardio exercises such as walking, biking, swimming, aerobics, running, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing are great for physical conditioning and mental health, but they just don't burn calories and build muscle mass like strength training does. Trust me, I've tried. As a former "cardio-junkie," I taught step aerobics, mountain biked for six hours per week, hiked, and even jogged. I was very fit too. I could pedal my bike up some of the steepest mountain trails in southern Idaho, but I still wanted to lose more body fat.

Here's where the apology to Cheryl comes in. Several years ago, I was the Aerobics Director at a health club in Washington state. My fellow instructors and I would dance our hearts out, several times per week. We were in good shape, but we kept wondering about Cheryl, the "girl who worked in the weight room." She joined us for a few of the cardio classes, but also made time to do strength training three times per week. Reluctantly, we had to admit that her body was a bit more "toned" than ours. Still, her exercise plan didn't make sense to us. Sure, we "dabbled" in some strength training by doing push-ups and ab exercises at the end of our classes, but much of the research said that to lose weight a person needed to perform cardiovascular exercise several times per week, for several minutes at a time and that's what we were going to do.

The times they are a changin'! The current research clearly shows that strength training is where it's at for fat loss and improved health. Resistance exercises decreases abdominal obesity (belly fat) and increases insulin sensitivity (great news for those with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes). Strength training has also been shown to lower hemoglobin A1C levels (three month average blood sugar levels), LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Best news of all, for persons with severe obesity, arthritis, physical disabilities, and/or diabetes complications, strength training can be easier to achieve than walking 20-30 minutes per day because many of the exercises can be performed sitting down. Strength training also helps strengthen bones, which decrease the risk of osteoporosis!

So what exactly is resistance training? Resistance training is the collective term for various types of strength-building exercises that rely on the use of some sort of resistance to promote muscle growth. The resistance tool can be weights, bands, machines, your own body, or gravity. For example, resistance training exercises for the muscles in your upper body could include: doing a push-up (resisting against gravity and using your body weight); doing a bench-press exercise with free weights (lying on a bench, ball, or step); doing a chest exercise using a machine; or working the upper body muscles with resistance tubing.

Resistance training helps to tone and strengthen muscle groups because the exercises challenge the current level of fitness of the muscles. By adding resistance to our movements, the muscles cells grow and become stronger. The more muscle cells we have, the faster our metabolism – certainly important for weight loss and maintenance! In addition, we have some really amazing chemicals, glut 4 receivers, that "live" inside our muscle cells (think receivers on a football team). When we exercise, these little receivers basically rush to the surface of the cells and ask the blood to bring them some energy (in the form of blood sugar) so that they can continue to do their job. Not only does this process use up calories, but it also saves the pancreas from having to make as much insulin, thereby decreasing the wear and tear on the pancreas and the problems associated with high blood insulin levels.

When starting a resistance training program, it's important to remember that you're not competing in a bodybuilding contest. In fact, in our exercise studio, the rule is "no thong leotards allowed"! If you join a gym, look for a personal trainer or a class that you can take to help you stick to your program. If you're not comfortable exercising in front of others, you can use weights or resistance bands and videos or DVDS in the privacy of your own home. In our office, we use a video that I produced called "Strength Training for Real Women with Real Bodies." It shows beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels and features women of all shapes and sizes working with resistance bands. Make sure your program includes at least the basic muscle groups: biceps, triceps, upper back, chest, lower back, abdominals, quadriceps, hamstrings, and shoulders. A basic strength routine should take about 45 minutes, three times per week. You will want to work your muscles to the point of fatigue, using caution not to over train so that you don't injure yourself. Of course, you should check with your healthcare professional before beginning an exercise program, but I've never met a doctor that advised his/her patient not to exercise!

Finally, pay attention to your thoughts and emotions regarding exercise in general. Some people love it, but many don't. I often work with people who have had many negative experiences with food, exercise, and weight in their past and the emotions surrounding their weight interfere with their motivation to move their bodies. If this is the case for you, consider counseling or call our office to learn how to release these negative energies so that you can be successful. And sometimes, we just need to change our way of thinking. I did and lost 15 pounds of fat. And you can too!

Karen Donaldson, MS, RD, LD is a personal trainer, registered dietician, and an EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) practitioner who specializes in helping people lose weight. For a consult, call (208) 233- 0593 or visit her website at www.excelweightloss.com.