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Resistance training is an important part of
getting and keeping yourself in shape. But, people always seem to find excuses
by listening to the myths that they've heard about resistance training. Well,
it's time to put those myths behind you and learn the truth about resistance
training.
First of all, what is Resistance Training?
It’s an external force or stress placed on the muscles of
the body that, when applied properly, will cause your body to respond in a
positive way. Resistance training forces your muscles to contract against a
weight like a barbell, or some other form of resistance like an elastic band or
even your own body weight. This resistance overloads the muscle, causing it to
do more work than it is accustomed to doing. This forces the muscle to adapt by
increasing in size, tone, strength, power or endurance depending on how the
resistance is applied.
The Myths of Resistance Training
MYTH: If you do a lot of cardio exercise, you don’t really
need to do resistance training too
Achieving and maintaining good health and fitness is a
combination of good nutrition, cardiovascular exercise and resistance training.
All three components are important in an overall fitness plan, but resistance
training is primarily responsible for muscle tone, strength, injury prevention,
and higher metabolism to help you burn calories all day long.
MYTH: It will cause you to become big and bulky
Women are especially fond of using this excuse. Some women
are genetically more muscular and athletic, and by working out longer and
harder, they can get bigger. Most women, however, lack the necessary hormones
and will not achieve those results. Instead, they will lose fat, and lose inches
while making only small gains in muscle. But, remember, it is muscle that
provides your shape; and the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you
can burn to achieve and maintain your ideal weight.
MYTH: It will result in spot reduction
Sorry, but there is no such thing as “spot reduction”. You
can’t target exercises for your “love handles” or thighs and expect to lose fat
in just that area. You just can’t pick which fat your body will burn. An
exercise and nutrition program can result in fat loss from all over the body,
but sometimes those problem areas are just the last places to see significant
results. However, resistance training can increase muscle tone in the specific
areas that are worked.
MYTH: If you stop exercising, your muscle will turn to fat
Muscle and fat are two different tissues and they can’t
turn into each other. If you stop using your muscles or don’t work them very
hard, the muscle tissue will begin to atrophy and become smaller and weaker. If
you stop an exercise program, or just eat too much, you will eventually gain
fat. So, you may be losing muscle and gaining fat at the same time, but you are
not turning one into the other.
MYTH: You just have to use light weights with high
repetitions
The main advantage of resistance training over other forms
of exercise is the ability to progress the resistance. It is only by working the
muscles under a load that they will adapt and become stronger. If you just lower
the weight so you can do more reps, you will not be working hard enough to get
the benefits of resistance training. It is important to maintain a relatively
high level of intensity and effort to achieve benefits such as strength, higher
metabolism and fat loss.
MYTH: Resistance training won’t help your cardio
performance
Resistance training is actually very important for
endurance. The stronger you are, the faster you will be able to move, and the
more power you will be able apply. It is resistance training that keeps your
muscles toned and prevents them from becoming weak and atrophied. And more importantly, endurance
athletes who do resistance training are less prone to injuries.
What Can Resistance Training Do for You?
An increase in muscle tone and mass is one of the most
effective ways to increase your metabolism, decrease body fat and increase your
strength and endurance. Resistance training can also help to slow the aging
process by decreasing muscle loss as we age. Inactive people can lose as much
as 10% of their lean muscle mass each decade after 30 years of age. But by
performing regular resistance training, you can preserve and enhance your muscle
mass and tone. | 
