Sweat it out!

I must admit I used to hate it when I would even get one drip of sweat. I thought it was so gross. I did not want to go outside because I was afraid I would get sweaty. If I did ever try to work out I would stop when I started to get sweaty. Who wants to be covered in sweat? It just seems so gross. Now I love it!! If I have a workout and I do not break a sweat I feel like I did not workout hard enough. I need to go do some more to get a good sweat going.

Sweating has a lot of health benefits. Sweat consists primarily of water, as well as concentrations of sodium and chloride, and to a lesser extent, potassium. There are two types of glands involved in sweating: eccrine and apocrine. Eccrine glands trigger perspiration to keep our core temperature regulated, while apocrine glands release sweat as a response to nerves or stimulation, such as exercise. In addition to the aforementioned ingredients, sweat from apocrine glands may contain proteins and fatty acids.

Sweating is your body’s natural way of providing a high-tech cooling system

Skin is considered the largest organ in or on the body and it’s vital to take care of it

In conjunction with proper washing, sweat can produce soft & supple texture of the skin

Improves tone & flexibility of skin

Critical factor in the body’s hydration process

Essential in the process of removing toxins from the liver, kidneys & the cardiovascular system

Is the body’s natural process of cleansing & washing skin pores

Serves as one of the body’s many indicators

On a small scale can burn calories in conjunction with traditional training

Improves circulation

Helps boost the body’s immune system

Triggers your body to work harder to compensate & adjust

When you exercise and sweat, endorphins are released to lower your stress levels and brighten up your mood.

When you sweat make sure you wash your face to unclog the pores from it.

So go do something now that makes you sweat. I bet you will feel great afterwards!

 

Strength Sunday

I know I have stated quite a few times how much I love strength training. Well my favorite day is legs day!! I can lift the most weight with my legs, I love all the leg exercises, I love feeling the new muscles in my legs after a good workout. One of my favorite leg exercises is the leg press machine.

 

 

 

When I first saw this machine I thought what kind of torture device is this? Well it is actually wonderful. While doing the leg press yes I do think to myself I hate this machine so much, but as soon as I am done I think wow I love this machine. You can put as much or as little weight on there that you like. I am trying to up my weight on it. Today I did the most weight I have done on it yet, and it felt fantastic. To do this machine you do exactly what it says. You are pressing  with your legs. You lie on the seat put your feet on the foot plate. Brace the abdominal muscles and push the platform away with heels and forefoot by extending the knees and hips and pushing the back into the seat pad. The heels should remain flat on the foot plate and the front of the foot or toes should not be used exclusively to move the pad forward. Do keep the head steady and back against the seat. Don’t lock out the knees in an explosive fashion but do express a full range of motion. Return the foot plate to the starting position by allowing the knees to bend under control while maintaining the feet flat on the surface. Repeat the exercise. As the (diagonal) leg press involves pushing a weight along an inclined track, rather than lifting it vertically, it is possible for strength trainers to press very heavy weights, compared to the weight they might use for other exercises.

 

 

The leg press works your hamstring, quadriceps, gluteus maximus and your calves (partially) Varying the angle between the sled and the backrest and/or the position of the feet on the plate puts more emphasis on one or the other muscle group. So go do some leg presses you will love it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I love strength training!!

I  have always heard that to lose weight you should increase your cardio. I joined the gym in February, however, I did not actually start going until March. My intentions were to go in and do cardio. I was going to use the elliptical and stationary bike. I have never really done strength training before, and I was very intimidated by it. Seeing all these men and women in shape who look like they know what they are doing is very intimidating. I actually did not want to do it at all. We signed up to work with a personal trainer, which was very scary and exciting for me. The philosophy of the program absolutely no cardio just strength training. I was happy that I would have someone there telling me what to do. I was nervous about my first session. I found out how much I really like strength training, and I actually HATE cardio. I try to get some cardio in because it does help to burn a lot of calories quickly, but the majority of my fitness routine is my strength training. The thing about cardio is yes it does burn a lot of calories really quickly, but as soon as you step off the cardio machine or stop running etc...you stop burning calories. With strength training you do not burn as many calories while doing it, but your body will continue to burn calories for up to 36 hours after your workout. That is much more appealing to me for sure. Strength training builds lean muscle which increases our metabolism, and you will continue to burn more calories each day. By speeding up metabolism you will burn more fat. The goal should be to burn fat and gain lean muscle, which you will not get from cardio alone.

I hear all the time "oh you do strength training you are going to get bulky". That is false. Most average women will not get bulky from strength training. That usually happens when women start taking supplements. Compared to men, women have 10 to 30 times less of the hormones that cause muscle hypertrophy. You will, however, develop muscle tone and definition. This is a bonus. So do not worry about getting big and bulky!

Unlike cardio, strength training is a great way to set positive, motivating goals that will keep you going to the gym week after week, month after month, and year after year. And, not to mention, allow you to achieve the body transforming results you’re after. Don’t focus on going to the gym just to burn fat and calories. Set performance goals and adjust your strength training program accordingly. I have set several goals for myself. I have never been able to do a pull up. This is a big goal for me. I want to be able to increase my weights on all the machines I do. It is a great feeling going in and doing an exercise with ease that was hard for me the week before. I was intimidated by the other people in the gym, but now all I am not worrying about them. The only person I need to be better than is me from yesterday. Strength training is also a good stress relief. There have been several times where I said I don't want to go to the gym today it is just a bad day. After getting my workout in though I always feel much better.

I loved working out with my trainer. He was awesome. He helped give me confidence, and helped me kick start my new fit lifestyle. We are no longer working with him because it was no longer cost effective. He helped set me up for success. Last week was the first week of not working with him. The problem is I started to feel unconfident and intimidated again. I have been doing these workouts for 4 months with him, but I felt like I did not know anything. Thankfully my wonderful husband is working out with me. He helps me with my workouts, and is helping me gain my confidence again. I feel like I do not know what to do, and as soon as he tells me I think yes I know this. I really enjoy working out with my husband, and hope we continue to workout together. I do, however, want to stop relying on him. I know the exercises I just need to get my confidence back up. I need to stay out of my head and focus on my strength training again.

 

 

I do some cardio to help burn quick calories, but I think that my main focus will stay on strength training. I have been building muscles in my body that I did not even know that I had. So try to incorporate strength training in your routine. Trust me you will not regret it. It has changed my life for the better.