IFO ona styie

By Stephanie Trembath,
Life & Style Editor

T= general idea most people
have when considering exercise
is that cardiovascular exercises
burn more calories than weight
training. This then has most people
thinking that a 20-minute run will burn
more calories than lifting weights.
While this concept is somewhat true, as
a 20-minute cardio workout will burn
more fat calories during the workout,
weightlifting exercises will burn fat
calories continuously even after your
workout is over. Weightlifting is ideal
not only to burn better, but it also
improves the strength of connective
tissues and bones as well as muscles.
In order to burn more calories
continuously — especially when you
are studying — you need to build up
muscle mass to create a higher muscle
metabolism. Muscle mass is increased
by the continuous repetition of weight
training exercises, so lifting weights
10

 

and other weight bearing techniques
are the ideal way to increase your
overall muscle metabolism. In addition
to sculpting your body and building
muscle, weight training increases your
overall metabolism so your body is
burning fat calories all the time. The

of each exercise will depend on how
much time you have; one set a day
of a few different exercises is just as
beneficial as three to five sets a day
of the same exercise, it all depends
on what your goals are. The amount
of repetitions you perform within

“The number of sets you perform of each exercise will depend on
how much time you have; one set a day of a few different exercises is
just as beneficial as three to five sets a day of the same exercise, it all

depends on what your goals are.”

American Council on Exercise claims
that one pound of muscle will burn
roughly six extra calories a day even
when resting, however, this number is
not ideal as it does not take age, weight,
gender, lifestyle, and fitness level into
consideration.

Much like cardiovascular
exercises, trying to include weight
training into your daily routine three
to four days a week is the best place to
start. The number of sets you perform

each set is where you need to be
careful; depending on the body part
and exercise, typically 12 to 15 reps

is a good starting point for beginners.
Once you become comfortable with the
exercise, you can increase the reps or
sets as you want.

Weight training increases the
resistance on muscles, which helps
strengthen and tone parts of the body as
the muscle tissues are repeatedly torn
apart during the activity. Because of

continuous stress on the muscle, a long
recovery period is necessary so that the
muscles have an adequate amount of
rest in-between exercises. The longer
rest periods after exercise will enable
an increase in weight or endurance of
the activity. For example, if your goal
is to increase upper body strength, try
alternating: Day 1 focus on biceps and
triceps, and Day 2 focus on shoulders
and back.

Especially when weight training,
it is important to recognize your
goal before you begin your training
techniques. For a longer, leaner look
(which most girls usually opt for), less
weight and more repetitions is the way
to achieve a strong and toned-looking
bod. For guys who wish to sport a more
buff bod with bigger biceps, increase
the weight and use shorter repetitions.
It’s this very reason you see Lululemon
clad damsels frantically whipping
three-pound weights up and down,
while guys are huffing and puffing over
the bench press.