Many women tend to rely on cardio when trying to lose fat, often spending hours on the treadmill or in spin classes (the so-called “Cardio Queens”) that they don’t enjoy but believe will help them burn fat. I understand this mindset because I’ve been there before.
Counting calories and pushing myself until I hit a specific number on the machine made me feel good, and it was a nice escape from my daily life. However, is this the most effective way to become leaner and more toned?
Absolutely not. In fact, I argue that it’s a waste of time and energy, two things that should be considered a luxury!
While cardiovascular exercise is essential for good heart health, strength training is a more efficient, effective, and mentally stimulating way to burn fat and build a lean body.
It’s unfortunate that some people find strength training intimidating and overwhelming because it can provide incredible results, such as preventing osteoporosis, increasing joint stability, building lean muscle mass, boosting metabolic rate, and improving self-esteem and confidence. In this case, I want to focus on the increased metabolic rate that comes with strength training.
This rate refers to the amount of energy or calories the body uses while at rest. Muscle volume plays a crucial role in this because muscles use more energy than fat when at rest. Therefore, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn even when doing nothing.
Instead of spending hours doing cardio, which burns calories during the activity, why not try building muscle to increase your daily calorie burn even while sitting and watching Netflix all day long?
Many women avoid strength training for several reasons, including a lack of knowledge and fear of looking stupid, concerns about looking too bulky, intimidation by male-dominated free weight sections at the gym, and fear of injury. Fortunately, all these concerns can be addressed through proper guidance and education on strength training.
It is unfortunate that these two words can seem intimidating and overwhelming to some, because strength training can return incredible results such as:
- Prevention of osteoporosis.
- Increased joint stability
- Increased lean body bass
- Increased metabolic rate
- Increased self-esteem and confidence
Our Weekend Reset and Fitness Retreats prioritise strength training as a crucial component of physical activity. We believe that everyone should incorporate it into their lifestyle to prevent injury and illness and optimise overall health and performance.
By participating in these programmes, you will not only walk away feeling empowered after challenging your mind and body to new heights, but you’ll also have the confidence and understanding to apply what you’ve learned and continue your fitness journey for years to come.
