Myths

• Weight training will make me bulk up
• Doing weight training won’t make me burn fat like cardio will
• Cardio activity boosts my metabolism which weight training won’t do
• Weight training won’t help in fat burning like Cardio will

Facts

• This is probably the worst misconception in the fitness world. Women do NOT possess the same levels of Testosterone as their male counterparts and hence lifting weights will NOT make them build insane muscle bulk. Further, a great deal of food & nutrition is required additionally to attain that kind of muscle bulk and women tend to fear food for weight gain
• It’s true that Cardio exercises will burn more calories for minute-to-minute when compared to that burnt during Weight training. But weight or resistance training is unique in that your body continues to burn calories long after your workout. That’s right, you can burn calories whilst couching in front of the telly!
• Quite contrary, several documented studies have shown that pot a weight training workout one’s metabolism is boosted for anywhere between 36 to 60 hours
• Cardio exercises unfortunately help you decrease body weight but in this it does not discriminate between fat and muscle. Muscle is a precious commodity and is the very thing that helps you burn fat longer term. Weight training helps build up on muscle mass and lose purely fat from the body

Pros

• Weight training has one major advantage of being easy to perform without bulky equipment in gym settings. One can improvise practically anywhere to lift weights. Further, weights manufactured for the purpose are portable in nature
• Weight training enables one to accumulate a larger degree of lean muscle mass and this muscle is the very powerhouse for calorie burning 24/7
• Building muscle strength boosts one’s confidence incredibly
• The weight loss is not according to numbers on a scale but in inches off your body and this is an extremely healthy perception of fitness & weight loss
• Those who incorporate weight training into their fitness regimes are far more concerned about their nutritional intake and pay a great deal of attention to eating healthily as opposed to those who do solely cardio who have a tendency to over-treat themselves for their sweaty sessions
• Weight training decreases the risk of Osteoporosis, develops co-ordination and balance and helps preventing injuries from weak muscles. Further weight training is a fantastic rehab for muscular injuries
• Weight training exercises allow for people to retain their strength and independence with increasing age
• Weight training doesn’t tire and exhaust you like Cardio workouts do
• Weight training enhances one’s mental willpower and determination levels and contributes to personal growth

Cons

• Weight training if done by inexperienced individuals can result in serious long-term injuries. Beginners require supervised guidance
• Calorie burning isn’t as high as that in cardio and this in particular is a drawback for seriously overweight people trying to drop numbers on the scale
• One won’t sweat as much as one would in a Cardio session and this tends to make a lot of people feel like they haven’t done a decent workout
• Doesn’t do much for the cardiovascular system health i.e. the heart and the lungs.
• Initially as you’re building up the muscle you cannot be a ‘stress eater’ too often. The calories will pile on. Also in the initial phases of muscle building, this kind of exercise doesn’t provide appetite control

My Take

It’s unbelievable how many women will steer clear of weight and resistance training for fear of developing a masculine form. These very women will then spend hours on end jogging on treadmill, cycling furiously on indoor bicycles and driving themselves into a loop on the elliptical. And all in the effort-ed hope of achieving a slender, toned, ‘sexy’ body.

Time for a reality check ladies, cardio will no doubt make you shed pounds but you’ll retain your soft, flabby body. Want that form you dream of daily and the one you collect visuals of on Pinterest to inspire you? Stop disregarding the weights rack and cosy up to strength training!

For every 6 kgs of muscle gained, you can expect to burn an additional 120 calories per day, without having to exert yourself at all. In contrast a flabby, fattier form burns just 3 extra calories a day.

Devise your workout regimes such that you prioritize weight & resistance training first and then incorporate cardio based workouts for recovery days to stretch out those muscles and give you that energy and adrenaline rush.