| So ladies, what can weight training do for | | | | workout because if they stop the muscle will |
| you? Weight training will give you | | | | turn to fat. Now, let's analyze this |
| near-perfect symmetry and put curves and | | | | statement. People begin resistance training |
| definition in all the right places. Muscle is | | | | program in order to rid the body of fat, not |
| firm and toned, not soft and mushy. Muscle | | | | to gain it. Muscle can't turn into fat any |
| gives you strength, health, vitality and a | | | | more than fat can turn to muscle. Muscle |
| beautiful body. Also, weight training will | | | | (metabolically active) and fat (metabolically |
| decrease your chance of injuries in everyday | | | | inactive) are two completely different |
| life and recreational activities. Weight | | | | tissues responsible for their own functions. |
| training improves work, sleep, endurance, sex | | | | Just as your heart and liver are two |
| and many other areas of your life. | | | | different organs performing completely |
| | | | different functions, the same goes for muscle |
| Myth #1: Women Must Train Differently Then | | | | and fat. Now I ask you, can your heart turn |
| Men | | | | into your liver, or vise versa? If there were |
| | | | any truth to the above statement there would |
| BUSTED: Training for ladies shouldn't differ | | | | be a lot of people out there with great |
| that much from men's training. Women have the | | | | muscle potential, if you catch my drift. |
| same number of muscles and they contact in | | | | |
| the same fashion. The only difference between | | | | An explanation to the above myth is that some |
| men and women are hormones. | | | | bodybuilders do gain extra weight off-season |
| | | | in preparation for the up coming competitive |
| Men naturally have higher levels of | | | | season. Many veterans of bodybuilding gain |
| testosterone, a muscle-building hormone, | | | | weight when they get older or retire, how |
| while women are constantly fighting the | | | | does that differ from the average American? |
| estrogen issue, a fat storing hormone. Now | | | | |
| I'm not saying that just because you are | | | | There is a biological reason for the weight |
| female and have higher levels of estrogen you | | | | gain. The metabolism slows down as we age, |
| are doomed to gain weight. What I'm saying is | | | | meaning the body needs fewer calories per day |
| that we can use what you have to your | | | | to maintain itself. The downfall is that most |
| advantage. | | | | people, including bodybuilders, don't reduce |
| | | | their caloric intake to compensate for this |
| Regular weight training will build lean body | | | | slowdown and the end result is fat gain. |
| mass. The more body lean body mass you | | | | |
| acquire, the higher you raise your | | | | Another explanation is that bodybuilders, in |
| metabolism. An increased metabolism results | | | | hard training, develop enormous appetites and |
| in more calories burned per minute. Sounds | | | | need the extra calories for muscle growth and |
| interesting? Read on.... | | | | repair. If the intake stays the same when |
| | | | training volume is reduced or ceased, the |
| Myth #2: Muscle Weighs More Than Fat | | | | unburned calories get stored as fat; again, |
| | | | this is no different than the average |
| BUSTED: A statement I hear a lot is that | | | | American. |
| muscle weighs more than fat. The fact of the | | | | |
| matter is that a pound of muscle and a pound | | | | Stop Making Excuses |
| of fat weigh the same, a pound. A pound of | | | | |
| muscle is more dense and takes up less space | | | | Simply put, stop making excuses. Not |
| than a pound of fat does. | | | | exercising is far more harmful to your body, |
| | | | image, and health than working out. |
| Muscle allows you to eat more food without | | | | Exercising and nutrition is a learned |
| getting fat because muscle is the only body | | | | lifestyle, if you are not consistent with it |
| material that is metabolically active. Once | | | | you will decrease muscle and increase fat, |
| you put muscle on your body you will burn an | | | | but muscle definitely will never turn into |
| additional twenty to thirty calories an hour. | | | | fat. |
| Bodybuilders actually burn fifty to | | | | |
| seventy-five additional calories per hour. | | | | Karen Sessions has been in the fitness |
| | | | industry since 1988. She is a nationally |
| Myth #3: Muscle Turns to Fat | | | | qualified bodybuilder and holds two personal |
| | | | training certifications. She has written 6 |
| BUSTED: A misconception that I hear many | | | | ebooks on fitness and has helped hundreds of |
| women saying is that they don't want to | | | | clients transform their bodies. |