So you want to lose weight and you have decided that your goal weight will be the same number as you were in high school, Ok. But depending on your age you might not be happy with your results. Why?
A. The method you are using to achieve such goals (calorie restriction, cardio) alone isn’t the most effective .
B. Our bodies composition change naturally as we get older
On average a woman who does not strength train loses about .5 pounds of muscle each year. What does that look like? For an example we take our fictional friend Susan who at 30 years old weighs 120 and 20% of that is body fat. At 50 if she weighs the same her body composition would change by 20 pounds and her body fat percentage would be 28.3%. Susan is the same weight as when she was younger but her overall appearance would be different and most likely unsatisfactory and she would be frustrated. This is why we can’t rely on the number on the scale alone to make us satisfied with our body goals, or be a direct marker of our overall health. Cardio alone will not help us get the shape and fat loss we desire. The goal should be to replace as much fat as possible with lean muscle mass, and muscles only grow with progressive overload (meaning week by week the weights get heavier). Hence why resistance training is paramount, but your hard work will not always show up on the scale. Thankfully for Susan and you incorporating a basic program of resistance training can reverse the unsatisfactory redistribution in our body composition as we age.
So do away with all your negative preconceptions about weight training and start lifting! If you don’t know where to start come join us at Furnace Strength, we would love to help you!!
P.S. This is just ONE element of the benefits of weight training!!
