It's time to pump you up!

Strength training, one of the most important aspects of working out, especially for all my LADIES, holler atcha girl!  Strength training is a type of exercise which uses resistance to build strength, size & endurance of our muscles.  Strength training is what tones us & keeps that dreaded under arm fat & those saddlebags away!  But besides toning, strength training is super important for bone health, specifically bone density.  Hey ladies, your bone density stops growing at age 25...I'm already screwed, how about you?  Guys, you get a little more time & have more bone density than us ladies, but don't think you are in the clear you are still at risk as well!  A lack of bone density leads to crippling osteoporosis, hello broken hips!  However, after the age of 25 research shows that we are able to maintain our bone density with weight-bearing & resistance training based exercises.  Recommended amount is 3x per week 20-30 minutes per sesh.  But boy is that hard to fit in....

Saddlebags!!!

Oh strength training, how many excuses can I come up with to skip you at the gym???  Seriously after a full day of work & a spin class or run on the treadmill the last thing I want to do is head over to the free weight area & pump some iron....ughhhh.  I always fool myself into thinking I'll just lift weights in my office/gym when I get home or I'll get to it tomorrow, obviously leading to another missed day of strength training.  How do I fool myself into this very important aspect of exercise??  It really is a chore.  One would think that the thought of underarm wings & a saggy backside would be enough, however in the midst of a full-time job & a life those fears fall second to a glass of wine & the DVR.  We must find the drive somewhere, hence why strength training is our challenge of the week this week!

Challenge of the week:  try to get 2-3 20 minute strength training          
                                                                                       sessions in this week.

Where to start hmmm.... Strength training does not just mean your old fashioned bicep curls & bench press, it simply means any weight-bearing exercise which creates resistance for our muscles. So if you are a beginner start with the basics, a plank or simple squat are very effective exercises.  If you are more advanced maybe you try something new - a power yoga class, a pure barre class, or an athletic conditioning class which incorporates weights, pick your poison!  One of my favorites, besides yoga, is swimming. Your options are endless.
For those of you who are unsure one of my favorite websites to show patients is www.yogajournal.com   go to poses & you can browse beginner poses with very specific instructions & pictures to help lead you through some great weight-bearing exercises.  Downward dog, plank & chair pose are some of my favorites!
Strength training is not only important, but after I do get in a great session of weights, yoga, or swimming I feel so strong & ripped!  I can feel the difference in my core, arms & abs, but like many of you out there life gets in the way of that positive feeling.  Think of my favorite tag-line Strong is the new skinny! So let's all use this week to get pumped up (literally) & begin strengthening not only our muscles but our confidence!

Strength training is what keeps these stems in shape!

Also check out my "Get that Glut" post for great butt busting strength training....if you're lucky I may post another video for strength training this week ;)