http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/health/fitness/strong-women-strength-train.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/fitness/strong-women-strength-train.html Sun, 14 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0600
Strength training was once shunned by women who feared becoming “bulked up”. Only a few men and women have the potential to add large amounts of muscle. Women can increase strength with a much smaller increases in muscle compared to men. Those small increases in muscle add shape to the body, increase tone, and make you look better. The stronger your body is, the more toned you will be. Athletes have incredible body tone because they are very strong. That does not come from lifting light weights several times. It comes for imposing rigorous demands on the body that force it to adapt and become stronger.

Muscle is much denser than fat and will not significantly add to that bulked up look as much as an increase in fat would. Besides, if you are one of the select few women with the capacity to add significant amounts of muscle, the muscle increase occurs very slowly and you can stop increasing the weights you are lifting if and when too much muscle appears imminent. Most will find that they never will reach that point. Often people mistake the bulked-up look to muscle, but more often the real reason is fat. It is much more difficult to increase muscle than fat.

An increase in muscle and strength occurs when muscles are worked intensely. To do this two things must happen: (1) Demands are places on the body beyond a level that the muscles are equipped to handle: and (2) the body is giving adequate time to rebuilt after the exercise stimulus. The strength increases occur during recovery periods not during exercise. That’s why rest is important and the danger of overtraining is great when too much time is spent strength training.

It does not take hours in the gym each week to get results. Drudgery is not a requirement to increase strength. Just 30 minutes a week can produce remarkable results. To maximize results work intensely. If you are working intensely, workouts cannot be very long. The more intensely you work the more recovery time you will need and the less frequently you will need to workout. More time in the gym will not result in more improvement if the body is not given enough time to recover.

While many exercise for its cosmetic benefits, the health benefits are considerable, and far more important.

Increased bone density. Osteoporosis studies confirm what has been suspected for years. Strong muscles make for strong bones. Women who have undergone weight training have been able to significantly increase bone densities.

Lessen the debilitating affects of Osteoarthritis. Cartilage acts as a cushion between the bones and as a shock absorber when the body is subjected to excessive forces. Eventually the cushion wears out. You can hasten that process by engaging in excessive high impact exercise. Too much running and improper weight training can produce such unwanted results. Each body is different and some are less suited to this pounding than others. Weight training should be performed in such a manner where excessive force is minimized.

Protection of joints and connective tissue. Excessive force causes injury. This can be caused by a single event such as a turned ankle, or it can be caused by repetitive use. In either case the body has been compromised. If it is not allowed sufficient time to heal the condition often becomes chronic. Once a joint has been damaged the best you can do outside of surgery is to strengthen the muscles around those joints. This is best accomplished through strength training. Running will not make the muscles stronger. In fact excessive running can make the muscles weaker and in some case cause injury. According to Runner’s World 70 percent of those who run regularly for a year will experience an injury. This is not to say that people should not run (There are of course some who should not run.). People should not run to the point of injury.

Increased muscle tissue and range of motion. It is simple, if you don’t use it you lose it. As adults we lose about 10 ounces of lean muscle a year after the age of 30. If we don’t use the muscles the body has no need for extra calorie burning tissue. As we age we gradually lose the strength to move through a complete range of motion. This loss of flexibility is called adaptive shorting. Your body adapts to the demands or lack of demands placed on it. Proper strength training can reverse this muscle loss better than other forms of exercise and will produce enhanced flexibility. While it is good to be more flexible (safely increase your range of motion), enhanced flexibility is better. Enhanced flexibility is the ability to move through a greater range of motion and have more strength through that increased range of motion. With enhanced flexibility you will be stronger, feel better and reduce the likelihood of injury. There is no need to go through life with compromises in abilities and constant aches and pains.

Lower body fat, higher metabolism, and lower blood sugar. Each pound of muscle lost means a lower basal metabolic rate of 50 to 70 calories. A lower metabolism means less fat burning and a greater propensity to add fat. Muscle aids in the disposition of blood sugar. A more muscular body will burn more fat, control blood sugar, and lessen the likelihood of type 2 diabetes.

Protection against injury and immune deficiencies. The No. 1 one reason people end up in nursing homes is due to the loss of strength to carry out daily activities. With decreased strength, balance becomes more of a problem. Falls are more prevalent and injuries result – next stop the nursing home. A person with a stronger body is less likely to sustain injuries, less likely to fall, and is more able to withstand the debilitating effects of sickness.

The benefits are huge and the time required is minimal. You should operate from the premise that it is not how much exercise you can withstand; it is how much is required to produce optimal results. Anything beyond that which produces maximal results is a waste of time and counterproductive as your body cannot adequately recover from the exercise stimulus. If you attempt to put in as much time as possible strength training hoping for improved results, the only improvement will be in the wallet of your trainer.

Not all advocates of strength training adhere to the same methods. There is no absolute right way. There are different ways to get stronger. It all comes down to subjecting the body to sufficient stimulus followed by adequate rest. A valid way to strength train is whatever method safely produces real measurable results. They have to be measurable results. If not, how do you know whether you are improving? If you are not improving why bother? Find a method that produces real results. You’ll look better, feel better and be able to do the stuff you did when you were younger without getting hurt. Yeah, that’s the ticket! Exercise briefly and infrequently so there is more time to recover, and then do more stuff.


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John Kelly is the founder and owner of two personal training facilities, Ultimate Fitness in New Orleans, LA and his newest business Kelly Personal Training in Austin, TX. He has been a personal trainer for 26 years and has conducted over 30,000 training sessions with people of every age, condition, and level of fitness. He specializes in high-intensity circuit strength training designed for safety and maximum impact in minimum time. For more information go to either of John’s websites http://www.kellypersonaltraining.com or http://www.ultimate30.com or call John at 512-964-8787

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/fitness/strength-training-to-prevent-falling.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/fitness/strength-training-to-prevent-falling.html Sun, 14 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0600
A year latter I asked him if he ever when back. As I expected he said no. He was content to walk for his exercise. During that time he had a couple of nasty falls, once breaking a rib and once he banged his head pretty badly. We did not know it at the time, but the consequences of falling were more serious that we thought.

My father became forgetful. It kind of flew under the radar for a while until it could no longer be ignored or denied. He recently underwent a series of tests. We were relieved to know that he does not have the early stages of Alzheimer’s or dementia. An MRI revealed that there was damage to his brain. The doctors speculated that it was most likely a result of a fall.

As people age they lose strength and with that gait speed and then a loss of balance. With the loss of strength they lose the ability to recover from a stumble. Falls inevitably occur, and those that do fall who are weak are more likely to suffer injuries as result of that fall.

Falling is the 14th leading cause of death among the elderly.

Each year, more than one-third of Americans over 65 sustain falls, total cost of fall injuries for people 65 and older was $20.2 billion in 1994, and that is expected to reach $32.4 billion by 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In one year 735,000 seniors required doctors' care as a result of falling.

As people age they lose as much as half of their fast-twitch muscle fibers. These fibers control quick movements and responsible for most of our strength. That decline can be reversed with high intensity weight training. There is plenty of documentation out there making the case for strength training for the elderly. One study conducted with 90 year olds:

High-intensity strength training in nonagenarians. Effects on skeletal muscle. Fiatarone MA, Marks EC, Ryan ND, Meredith CN, Lipsitz LA, Evans WJ. Strength gains averaged 174% +/- 31% (mean +/- SEM) in the 9 subjects who completed training. Midthigh muscle area increased 9.0% +/- 4.5%. Mean tandem gait speed improved 48% after training. We conclude that high-resistance weight training leads to significant gains in muscle strength, size, and functional mobility among frail residents of nursing homes up to 96 years of age

Of all the people who stand to gain by strength training the elderly stand to benefit most. It is important not only for the increased quality of life strength can bring but to avoid the consequences of weakness – falls, injuries, sickness, and death. These strength increases don’t require hours in the gym; do just enough to cause a change, then come back and do it again in a week. With such a program you’ll more likely to stick to it. You can look forward to the next year knowing you will be stronger instead of weaker. All it takes a half hour a week. Is it worth it? I am convinced it is.



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John Kelly is the founder and owner of two personal training facilities, Ultimate Fitness in New Orleans, LA and his newest business Kelly Personal Training in Austin, TX. He has been a personal trainer for 26 years and has conducted over 30,000 training sessions with people of every age, condition, and level of fitness. He specializes in high-intensity circuit strength training designed for safety and maximum impact in minimum time. For more information go to either of John’s websites http://www.kellypersonaltraining.com or http://www.ultimate30.com or call John at 512-964-8787

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/fitness/effectively-reverse-the-biomarkers-of-aging-by-strength-training.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/fitness/effectively-reverse-the-biomarkers-of-aging-by-strength-training.html Sun, 14 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0600
1. Muscle mass decreases. As adults we lose about five pounds of lean muscle each decade. Stronger muscles are more toned, and this requires more calories. Stronger toned muscles present a younger look.
2. Base Metabolic Rate (metabolism) decreases. More muscle requires more calories. Those who are stronger can have the metabolism they had when they were twenty years younger.
3. Fat increases as a percentage of body weight. By increasing muscle mass, fat as a percentage is automatically less, and this extra muscle requires more fat burning calories. A stronger leaner person will be more active and the increased activity will further enhance one’s health and burn additional calories.
4. Loss of strength, energy, and speed. Proper exercise will make you stronger, and day to day activities will be less strenuous and be less taxing energy-wise.
5. Loss of aerobic capacity. Choose a strength training program that involves circuit training to get the aerobic benefits. Non-stop circuit training method has a very significant cardiovascular effect and increases both aerobic and anaerobic capacity.
6. Body cells become resistant to insulin. Added muscles will lower your blood sugar level and lessen the need for insulin.
7. Bone mineral density decreases. Increase the demands on the muscular-skeletal system, and as self-protection, the body responds by maintaining stronger muscles and bones.
8. Loss of flexibility. More muscle contributes to flexibility. Muscles have the plasticity that tendons and ligaments do not.
9. Increased susceptibility to sickness and injury. A stronger body is less like to get injured and will have a stronger immune system. This might be the most important benefit. People wait until injuries occur and then exercise becomes problematic. To help avoid surgery the best thing you can do for your joints is to make the muscles supporting those joints stronger. Take the steps now to avoid herniated discs and hip and knee replacements.
10. Unsatisfactory cholesterol/HDL Ratio. Circuit strength training will improve your HDL or High Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol.
11. Blood Pressure increases. Elevated blood pressure or hypertension is known as "the silent killer" can be alleviated by strength training.



While other forms of exercise might improve a certain biomarker more effectively - running to improve aerobic capacity or yoga to improve flexibility - none address so many as effectively circuit weight training. You need not spend hours in the gym to make a profound difference. The body changes as a form of self-protection in response to increased demands of the body. Instead of trying to find out how much exercise you can handle but find out how little exercise is actually needed to produce a change. Studies have shown that significant strength increases result from strength training as little as once a week. Not exercising can lead to injuries which will result in more inactivity. You have to something. Do just enough to cause a change then come back and do it again in a week. As you become stronger you will find you are willing to engage in more activities and this will further enhance your health. It all starts with strength. Just improve a little each week and over time you will be a changed person.



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John Kelly is the founder and owner of two personal training facilities, Ultimate Fitness in New Orleans, LA and his newest business Kelly Personal Training in Austin, TX. He has been a personal trainer for 26 years and has conducted over 30,000 training sessions with people of every age, condition, and level of fitness. He specializes in high-intensity circuit strength training designed for safety and maximum impact in minimum time. For more information go to either of John’s websites http://www.kellypersonaltraining.com or http://www.ultimate30.com or call John at 512-964-8787

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/fitness/strength-training-to-get-back-the-life-you-had.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/fitness/strength-training-to-get-back-the-life-you-had.html Sun, 14 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0600
Jack stuck to the exercise program for the years that followed. Jack now 78 years old was still an avid golfer but had few golfers his age to golf with. Marcus, five years younger, just played nine holes and the next day was too rundown to play again. Jack insisted that Marcus try his exercise program. Jack said, “You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Anybody can stick to one half hour a week.” Marcus tried it. A year later he was playing 18 holes, and the next day, he would play 18 holes again. He was hitting the ball farther and enjoying golf again. Perhaps most importantly of all, he received the added health benefits of walking those additional 27 holes.

The resulting life changes, from just a little of the right exercise, come in many forms. Some of the many reports I have heard from clients over the years include climbing a ladder to change a light bulb, playing with grandchildren again, or walking across the dance floor without clutching an arm for support. The victories may seem small but they are important victories as people reclaim their independence and the lives they once had.

One need not be a prisoner of physical limitations, and one can live well without requiring hours each week engaged in a monotonous exercise. Significant strength increases occur upon exercising as little as once or twice a week IF it’s the right exercise program. An efficiently designed circuit strength training program will start with the premise of not seeing how much exercise one can withstand but with just how little one can get way with and still have significant results. One such strength training program was derived from an exercise study working with women who had osteoporosis. Researchers found that joints hurt less, bone density increased and muscles were stronger and more toned with minimal time exercising. Exercise programs that require too much of your time lead to injury, insufficient recovery, lack of positive results, drudgery and eventually quitting.

Thirty years ago few people lifted weights. It was rare to see women, golfers, or the elderly pumping iron. That has all changed, and of all those who stand to gain, the elderly stand to benefit most. nobody is put in a nursing home for being out of breath; it is generally because they are too weak to carry out daily living activities, and then they fall and hurt themselves. There are plenty of studies out that make the case increasing strength.

One study:

Evans, WJ. Reversing sarcopenia: how weight training can build strength and vitality. Geriatrics 1996 May: 51(5):46-7,51-3.


“Progressive resistance exercise can produce substantial increases in strength and muscle size, even in the oldest patients. For many older patients, resistance training represents the safest, least expensive means to lose body fat, decrease blood pressure, improve glucose tolerance, and maintain long-term independence.”

These life changes don’t require hours in the gym; do just enough to cause a change then come back and do it again in a week. With such a program you’ll more likely to stick to it, and in a year you will be a changed person. Mickey Mantle once said, “If I had known I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself”. Is it worth spending less than an hour a week exercising to slow the aging process? For Marcus it is.



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John Kelly is the founder and owner of two personal training facilities, Ultimate Fitness in New Orleans, LA and his newest business Kelly Personal Training in Austin, TX. He has been a personal trainer for 26 years and has conducted over 30,000 training sessions with people of every age, condition, and level of fitness. He specializes in high-intensity circuit strength training designed for safety and maximum impact in minimum time. For more information go to either of John’s websites http://www.kellypersonaltraining.com or http://www.ultimate30.com or call John at 512-964-8787

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