5 Mistakes Women make when Weight Training for Weight Loss
When most people think of weight training, they imagine bulked-up bodybuilders lifting massive weights. However, weight training can be an effective tool for women who want to achieve fat loss and muscle tone.
When it comes to fat loss, weight training is more effective than cardio exercise because it helps to preserve lean muscle mass. This is important because muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue, even when you’re at rest. As a result, weight training can help you achieve a higher resting metabolic rate, making it easier to lose unwanted pounds.
When it comes to working out, you might think that the harder you work, the better the results will be. However, this isn’t always the case. In fact, if you’re constantly pushing yourself to failure, you are actually slowing down your progress.
Here’s why: When you lift weights and go to the point of failure on a set, you cause muscle damage, inflammation, and suppress your immune system longer than when you stop 1- 2 reps from failure.
Science has shown us that those who do 1 rep away from failure often get the fastest and best results. Those who constantly hit that failure get more injuries or burn themselves out. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should never push yourself hard in the gym. You should – It is the most important thing. However, knowing what “hard work” looks like is the hardest lesson to teach my clients. We subconsciously hold back our own effort because our brains don’t want us doing a really hard workout.
Ask yourself, how many times could you have done more during a workout? If someone held a gun to your head and said more, my bet would be that you weren’t even close to failure.
This is the most important factor for your success of growing muscle because the body needs to do more than it did last time for you to keep burning fat and growing muscle.
When it comes to achieving your fitness goals, having a mind-muscle connection is key.
This means being aware of the muscles you are working as you exercise. This may seem kind of silly, but it can make a big difference in your results. When you focus on the muscles you are working, you are able to use them more effectively. This leads to better muscle growth and fat loss.
In addition, paying attention to your form will help to prevent injury. So, next time you are at the gym, take a moment to focus on your muscles and make sure you are using proper form. Your body will thank you for it!
If you’ve ever worked out with weights, you know that breathing is important. But did you know that how you breathe can actually impact your results?
When you breathe correctly during weight training, it helps to improve your performance and prevent fatigue. Furthermore, proper breathing helps to deliver oxygen and nutrients to your muscles, which is essential for growth and recovery. However, if you don’t know how to breathe properly during exercise, it can actually hinder your progress. Poor breathing can lead to excessive tension in the muscles, which can lead to injury. It can also make it difficult to get enough oxygen to the muscles, resulting in fatigue and slower results.
You should inhale and exhale with every repetition. Take a deep breath before you set. As you start to lift the weight, slowly start expelling the air. You should feel the muscle you are targeting be fully engaged as you expel the last of your air. Then inhale as you return the weight to the starting position. This breathing cycle needs to be done throughout the whole set. Don’t hold your breath or half breathe on some. Focus on work on this for every exercise.
When working out, it’s important to use proper form in order to avoid injury and ensure that you’re making the most of your workout. However, many people choose to disregard this advice, opting instead to focus on speed and reps. While this may help you see results in the short term, it’s not an effective long-term strategy. Not only will improper form slow down your progress, but it can also lead to injuries that could sideline you for weeks or even months. In severe cases, these injuries can even be permanent. So, if you’re serious about getting in shape, take the time to learn proper form and stick to it. Your body will thank you for it in the long run.
When you weight train, your muscles need time to recover between sets. This is when your muscles rebuild and get stronger. If you don’t rest enough between sets, your muscles won’t have time to recover and you’ll actually end up lifting less weight overall. In addition, insufficient rest can lead to fatigue, which can cause you to form bad habits and put yourself at risk of injury.
Aim for 2 – 5 minutes of rest as optimal. You want to be able to do the same intensity as the last set in each consecutive set. If you rest too little, you might not achieve the same reps as before at the same weight. This will limit how much work you are doing in your session, which impacts your results.
