The strength training workout should play a major role in every weight loss exercise program: period! Training for strength guarantees dramatic dynamic weight loss and management.

Foundation of Weight Loss

Weight loss occurs when the body burns more calories than it takes in. It takes about 3500 calories to burn one (1) pound of fat and every pound of muscle burns about 35 calories per day. The resting metabolic rate (RMR), the rate the body burns calories when at rest, is determined by the amount of muscle tissue contained in each body. A key component of sustainable weight loss and management is increasing the RMR of the body, and the body’s RMR increases with increases in muscle mass.

Strength or resistance training is any kind of movement your muscles make against an external force that causes the muscle to contract. This external force could be home fitness exercise equipment (like my favorite companion, The Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym), free weights, body weight exercises, or shoveling twelve inches of wet snow; the resulting muscle movement causes tiny tears in the fibers of the muscle. As the body heals and repairs the muscle tissues, they grow back stronger, denser and more resilient. An increase in muscle density means an increase in muscle mass (weight), and the increase in muscle mass means an increase in the RMR.

The Role of Strength Training

When we look at any anatomical image of the human body, we see that it is a series of skeletal and muscle systems interwoven together. All of these muscles can and should be positively affected by the strength training workout. These activities offer a wide array of benefits for the body, but most appropriately for this discussion, as you build muscle, your body creates a bigger engine to burn calories more efficiently (RMR). We should also be as efficient as possible when creating the full body muscle building environment, which is why my favorite tool is The Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym (CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION).

Convenience, ease of use, and versatility are key ingredients to making strength training workouts consistent and enjoyable. As in every job we tackle where tools are required, the right tools can be the difference between efficacy and drudgery. Home fitness exercise equipment comes in a variety of forms, but the home gym makes a strong case as the perfect strength workout companion. These multidimensional exercise frames come in a wide variety of packages and features. The features I recommend you consider are:

• Multi-use Hand-Grip/Ankle Cuffs designed to add flexibility and performance to any workout
• Workout Placard displaying workout descriptions for easy reference while you’re exercising
• Number of available exercises: 50+
• No-change cable pulley system
• 210 pounds of Power Rod resistance (which can be upgraded to 310 pounds)
• Four-inch upholstered roller cushions for leg extension and leg curl
• Vertical bench press
• Triple function hand grips for lat pull down
• Triple function ankle cuff grips
• Leg Attachment
• Height: 83 inches (211 cm)
• Length 64 inches (163 cm)
• Width 41 inches (104 cm)
• Small footprint : [Workout Area: 100 x 78 inches (254 x 199 cm)]
• Maximum User Weight: 300 pounds (136 kg)

Diet and Exercise

Diet and exercise have long been joined together as critical partners in the fight against declining health and obesity. Problems creep in, however, when loose interpretations of the definitions of diet and exercise are left to the imagination of the uninformed. The term diet is most often viewed as an exercise in deprivation while, in its simplest form, it is actually a person’s or animal’s regular food and drink. Exercise is bodily or mental exertion for the sake of training or improvement, which covers a broad spectrum of activities from push-ups to swimming five (5) miles upstream while towing a sixty five (65) foot boat.

The “Correct Weight Management Program” for each of us is going to be as unique as we are ourselves, but must employ the same basic principles:

1. It is a commitment to living an active lifestyle and a change in focus from “Living to Eat” to the more enlightened approach of “Eating to Live.”

2. It is a commitment to becoming more knowledgeable about everything we put in our bodies, their effects on our bodies, and developing a balanced diet that is healthful and satisfying.

3. It is commitment to developing an exercise program containing a broad spectrum of activities and designed to be effective and enjoyable. Formal exercise sessions should be a balance of strength or resistance training exercises, cardiovascular exercises (to increase oxygen flow and strengthen the heart), and activities to improve mental agility.

Final Thoughts

Whether you are keeping a weight management resolution for the New Year or have just decided that it is time to reveal the “Real You,” I urge to check out one of the most efficient and effective full body strength training tools on the market today: The Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym. It is truly my favorite and has a fantastic warranty: One year on the frame and seven years on the resistance bars… and because it’s Bowflex, you know you’ll enjoy dependable service and years of great workouts.

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