Don’t let your age stop you from getting the benefits of weight training. If you are 19 or 90, run marathons, or struggle to climb stairs; weight training can benefit everyone. Weight training helps build muscle, strengthens bones, improves balance and prevents injuries. Often, it is helpful for people with many chronic health conditions. Overall, it helps people feel better physically and mentally.
Source: Mayo Clinic
Weight training is better for fat loss and building lean muscle. However, cardio will help with weight loss, improving cardiovascular health and helping to uncover the muscle you’ve sculpted. If you’re looking to tone up while also sculpting muscle, doing a variety of each, each week is the best way to achieve your body composition and aesthetic goals. It’s a marriage of sorts. The main thing is that you move in a way that helps you smash your goals without sacrificing enjoyment in the pursuit of those goals. Basically, keep your body moving in a balanced and varied way, while also maintaining a healthy and nutrient-dense diet that prioritises vegetables, lean protein sources and complex carbohydrates that keep your energy up.
I watched a great video where the speaker (a professor at Berkeley) spoke of the science of weight training and how to lift for endurance or strength. He said that one should lift between 30% and 80% of their maximum load. The closer to 80% the more the strength gains. The range between 30% and 50% took care of maintaining muscle and building endurance. What if we applied the same principle to our everyday lives. We don’t have to go 100% to achieve maximum results. We can scale back and achieve optimum results and simultaneously reduce our stress levels. Are you running at 100%? Try scaling back by easing your foot off the acceleration pedal. You’ll feel better.
