Strength Training Demystified  Article By: Sandra Gordon  

Why is strength training so important? During weight loss, you may lose some muscle along with the fat if you're not active. And with less muscle, your body burns fewer calories, which means you need to eat less to prevent weight regain.

  According to Bill McArdle, exercise physiologist for Weigh****chers International, strength training is the key to breaking that cycle. "Strength training conserves lean tissue (muscle) while you're losing weight," McArdle says. With more muscle on board, you'll burn more calories, even at rest. "With each pound of muscle you gain, you'll burn more calories every day," says Kelly Cory, an exercise physiologist at the Duke University Diet and Fitness Center in Durham, North Carolina.

Easy Does It However, you don't need to become a gym rat to benefit from strength training, also known as resistance exercises. "You can begin to see results with just two or three 20-minute sessions a week," Cory says.

Cory recommends doing a series of resistance exercises to challenge all your major muscle groups. For beginners, universal weight machines are a good way to go, too. The machines encourage proper form and reduce the risk of injury. And they make it easy to manipulate the amount of weight you're lifting. Certain machines also allow you to work several muscle groups (such as your shoulders, arms and abs) simultaneously. Ask a trainer at your gym to show you the ropes before you begin.

Start with 1 to 2 pounds of weight and do a single set of 5 to 10 repetitions of each exercise. Use slow, controlled movements that follow through the full range of motion. Gradually increase the number of reps or add another set. "When you can do 10 reps in good form, you're ready to increase the weight a little, but no more than five percent at a time," Cory says.

For a well-rounded fitness routine, get at least 30 minutes of heart-pumping aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, three to five days a week, McArdle advises. To protect yourself from injury, be sure to warm up for about five minutes beforehand and cool down with a few minutes of stretching afterward. Warm-ups and cool-downs are important, no matter what type of exercise you're doing.

Great Article ..Thanks for sharing ..  I for one have to strenght train for my osteoporosis ... My trainer has me on a new regimine .. it is hard , as I have never really worked my back muscles ... or my butt muscles.. and it hurts .. but it is a good hurt .  Before my adrenal issues .. I weight trained everyday . I had some killer looking arms .. and I see the difference now since my brachioplasty .  Thanks again .. great stuff !!  Nat

Yes. Great article. I am convinced that getting into lifting early is why I am succeeding now where I have failed before (of course the surgery helps too--LOL)! By focusing early on building lean muscle mass you make your cardio workouts all the more effective!