Healthy Living in Austin, Texas

This blogpost is mostly for women, sorry guys! I stumbled upon a really interesting article today called “4 Things Women Should be Doing in Their Fitness Training–But Aren’t” and it immediately piqued my interest. My time spent at the gym is precious and I want to be sure I am making the most of it! These were some really good tips the article gave, so I decided to share them…

1. High-intensity training- Ok, we are all guilty of it….you know, that tired feeling you get while at the gym. It doesn’t matter if it is super early in the morning, or later in the evening, I always seem to be a little tired. It’s times like these when the elliptical looks so enticing! Gliding along for 40 minutes to an hour, working up an ok sweat but not really feeling like you are dying. Resist the temptation! It is important for us to make sure we are really working our bodies out at a high intensity, or it isn’t worth it. Here is what the article had to say about it: “High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is typically a 10- to 20-minute workout that alternates short, intense bursts of activity with moderate-exertion recovery periods. “High-intensity interval training  is the best way to improve your overall fitness, burn fat, and stimulate your hormones for a stronger body,” says Benn.”
2. Heavier lifting- I have always been under the impression that lower weight, more reps burned the most fat. Not according to this article. It says that we should up the weight to burn more fat. Here is what the article has to say about it: “doing fewer reps with more weight—say, 8 reps per set with a 15-pound dumbbell, instead of 15 reps with an 8-pound one—will burn more fat, he says. Lifting heavier will also increase your strength and muscle definition.”
3. Upper-body workouts- Sure, most of us gain weight in our hips and thighs, but the article points out that it is important to workout our upper bodies as well. Here is what the article says about it: “you can’t spot-reduce fat, and sticking with what’s easy can stunt your progress, says Benn.”
4. Training with a barbell- It is important to use these every now and then because the bar forces you to get your body in sync. You can use the barbell for both upper body and lower body exercises.