Body Weight Training
Resistance training is a critical training format required to build muscle.
A strong body with toned muscles helps:
- reduce body fat & stimulate the metabolism
- aid in exercise recovery and maximize performance and balance
- decrease cortisol levels which are often high in us “stressed-out” adults
- strengthen your bones and joints
- improve your mood and maintain cognitive functioning
Building muscle is especially important to our bodies as we age. Did you know that an average person’s metabolism drops 300 calories daily from 25-65 and he/she loses 20 pounds of lean mass during this time? Muscle is metabolically active so a loss of it leads to a slower metabolism, something none of us wants. We need to keep our muscle on if we want to combat these effects of aging!
When it comes to resistance training, I love body weight training for a lot of reasons.
Body weight training is a convenient, effective, versatile, cheap and accessible way to work out; I’m often on the road so I find I’m always using this form of training to get my workouts in. You don’t need equipment or a gym membership to perform this exercise style, your own body and enough space to jump around (I like to have at least a 4 x 6 foot space) is all you need to get moving.
Try the body weight training workout I’ve created below. I’ve tried to incorporate all of the major body parts into this regime. Perform each exercise for one minute then rest for 30 seconds in between. This routine should get your heart rate up. Aim to repeat the circuit 2 – 3 times if you’re comfortable doing so. If you can’t do it right away, make this a goal for you to work towards in the coming months. I recommend to my clients that they perform strength training exercises 2 -3 times per week, giving themselves rest days in between to give their muscles time to recover.
Some of you many be asking “But what about cardio?”. The benefits of regular resistance training outweigh the results you’ll get from a program built on cardio alone. Have a read of my recent blog to learn more.
In summary, strength training helps to reduce body fat, increase metabolism, maximize performance and balance, strengthen your bones and joints, improve your mood, and more! Due to its convenient, effective, versatile, cheap and accessible nature, body weight training is a terrific style of resistance training. Reach out to me if you’d like to give body weight training a try today, but you aren’t sure how to get started.
Sources:
https://draxe.com/bodyweight-exercises/
When I signed up with Lindsay a month and a half ago, I had shoulder and elbow injuries and although my physiotherapist asked me to put my training with Lindsay on hold, Lindsay didn’t give up on me. During my sessions with Lindsay some sort of weaknesses is exposed as I try to challenge a new exercise I have been given. But I thrive on that challenge as Lindsay is there to support me no matter how I act. I will laugh, grunt etc. I feel comfortable enough with Lindsay to allow myself to be exposed in such lights.
This comfort level has freed me to tell Lindsay a great deal about
my life, from the exciting and not so exciting stuff. No matter what, Lindsay helps me feel at ease. The reason why I feel so much better after my session with Lindsay is because she supports, encourages and kicks butt. Today, my injuries are almost healed, all thanks to Lindsay.
So for those of you that are considering hiring a personal trainer, not only will you receive great work-outs and mental benefits, Lindsay will positively impact your life.
Lindsay, I cannot thank you enough for everything and adjusting schedule to accommodate me.
Working with Vanda has been a terrific experience. I’m so proud of her for working slowly and safely through the elbow pain she has experienced. We’ve done a great job strengthening the muscles around the elbow to ensure long term success. Correct form and building things up slowly is key to working out safely, especially for beginners.
Vanda, I’m looking forward to the fun we’ll have in the gym together now that your arm is in better shape!