What is the single best thing we can do for our health?

Source you tube

Very insightful.... I loved this and thought i would share..... Would love to hear your thoughts..

Muscle mass myths

A big concern most women have when it comes to weight training is that they don't want to "get big" or bulky like a man.  I can tell you right now, that is not going to happen.

Womens' bodies are not naturally designed to gain muscle mass like men.  The hormone testosterone is responsible for the increases in muscle mass when men lift heavy weights.  Plain and simply, women just don't produce enough testosterone to gain the same muscle mass.

There are many female bodybuilders who are very muscular and are very bulky in size.  These women are most likely professional bodybuilders or sculptors who would spend every day training, focusing on their diet, nutrition and supplements and who would most likely be using testosterone injections and/or anabolic steroids.

For most women, lifting weights would ensure muscle gain, but not like a man.  A toned and shapely physique could be achieved.

As we age we tend to lose muscle mass, women at a faster rate than men, and therefore tend to put on weight.  By ensuring we incorporate at least 2-3 sessions a week of strength training, we could in effect slow down that ageing process.  Losing muscle mass also lowers our metabolic rate which means a slow down of overall calorie burning per day.

In essence, building more muscle would ensure a much more toned physique and a more efficient calorie burning body.  So what are you waiting for????  Hit those weights !!!!!

Abs

Ab work is usually the most despised part of a workout.  I too drag my feet when its time for obliques, bracing and all the rest, but always feel so much better for it when its over.  Everyone wants a more defined mid section.  After having 2 kids I dont know if my abs can look quite the same as the above picture, but i can try.  As most people know,  it is a combination of both diet and fat loss , the lower your body fat the more defined your abs will look with the correct exercises.  So needless to say, doing 200 sit ups a day isn't going to get you the results you want if you're not backing it up with proper nutrition.

Many people spend 20 -30 mins working on their midsection.  I believe its not really that necessary.  If you're training the midsection in the right way there's no need for a lengthy session.  I would treat the abs like any other muscle group and aim for reps of 10 - 20 range.  Short rest periods between sets, as abs, unlike other muscle groups, need a much less recovery time.  This always ensures a constant level of stress is placed on the muscles giving you a much better workout.

I tend to favour the short intense timed intervals for abs, focusing on between 2 - 4 various exercises.  Works up quite a burn and a sweat, and never fails to increase the heart rate.  Now that bikini season is upon us I make sure im adding an abs workout every other day.