Gain Strength--Lose Weight!!

Sun is shining--weather not so cold--dare I say, Spring is here??? While everyone scrambles and starts to think about the easiest and fastest way to get in shape, those in the know understand our classes meet all criteria to help you do just that!! I am posting an article a friend shared recently (thanks Shay) that explains the ongoing debate of strength training vs. cardio. And why to be fit and healthy you need to have BOTH!! Enjoy the article, enjoy the sunshine, Enjoy the day!!

"Gain Strength, Lose Weight"
University of California, Berkeley, Wellness Newsletter, January 2007

Many people take up strength training thinking that it will boost their metabolism (the rate at which the body burns calories) and thus help them shed pounds and lose body fat. Many books, magazines, and personal trainers tout this concept. Some go so far as to promise that the pounds will practically melt away without dieting and with no other exercise. Here's a look at the truth behind the claims.
CLAIM: Strength training increases resting metabolism, which means your body bums calories at a higher rate even when not exercising.
REALITY: True, but how much it goes up and for how long depends on how intensely you train and which muscles you work. Some studies have found that resting metabolism stays up for 14 hours or longer; others show it goes back to normal within an hour after exercising. But average gym-goers don't work out long enough or hard enough to achieve any significant calorie burning after-effect. More significant are the calories you burn during the workout. There is nothing magical about strength training itself: all exercise-particularly aerobic exercise-can increase metabolic rate to some degree.
CLAIM: Strength training builds muscle, and muscle burns far more calories than fat.
REALITY: Strength training builds muscle, but you have train strenuously and long term to add a significant amount. And even then, the impact on body weight is usually small. One pound of muscle typically burns five to eight calories a day, though this depends on many variables, according to estimates by Dr. Robert Wolfe, professor of geriatrics at the University of Arkansas. (Don't believe pie-in-the-sky claims in some books and on some websites that a pound of muscle burns a whopping 50 to 100 calories a day.) In contrast, one pound of fat burns about two calories. A woman who strength trains three times a week for six months, for example, may gain two to four pounds of muscle. That would result in 10 to 32 extra calories burned a day-not much, considering that you need a deficit of about 500 calories a day to lose a pound a week.
Proven benefits:
Whether it helps you lose weight or not, strength training can provide many benefits, including stronger muscles and denser bones. You may see an improvement in endurance and athletic performance, such as in your tennis or golf swing. Stronger' muscles can also improve your quality of life, making it easier, for example, to tote a bag of groceries, stow a suitcase over­head, or carry a child in your arms. And a toned body makes you look slimmer even if you don't lose weight (you might, in fact, gain weight if you train strenuously and add lots of muscle). Like other exercise, strength training may also reduce blood pressure and cholesterol.
Words to the wiseA balanced workout should include both a cardiovascular (aerobic) workout and strength-building exercises. But if your primary goal is to lose weight, focus mainly on aerobic exercise (such as running, biking, skating, or brisk walking) four or more days a week for at least 45 minutes. This burns more calories and is more likely to significantly boost your metabolic rate afterwards than strength training.