Weight training will make your muscles stronger, it will help boost your metabolism, and it will even prevent injuries by creating a stronger body. These are just a few of the things that weight training can do for you, thought there are a lot more to add to this list.

Weight Training

If you don’t want to pay top dollar for a trainer, consider doing your own research online. Simply by reading informative articles, you can learn about the kind of body that you want to build. While there are hardly any reasons why you shouldn’t be lifting weights, there are tons of reasons why weight training is essential for your body.

-Find time and make time for your aerobics and weight training schedule. You don’t have to join a fitness or health club to do weight training. It’s probably better to train at home since it saves time and is very convenient. Basic free weights are all you need to get started. When you progress from the beginner level to intermediate to advanced, you can either then add the following equipments a bench and barbell set, a cable-pulley machine and an adjustable squat rack.

-Perform stretching exercises to loosen up your joints and muscles and maintain flexibility.

-Do not train for more than 60 minutes. The total optimal workout duration including aerobics should be between 45 = 60 minutes. Long workouts exhaust the body’s nervous and endocrine systems, decreases the body’s growth and testosterone levels and increases cortisol levels (a hormone that breaks down muscles).

If you have the time, you can split up your aerobics and weight training sessions if you do them on the same day. You could do 30-45 minutes of aerobics before breakfast and 30-45 minutes of weight training in the late morning or afternoon.

-Do not engage in weight training two days in a row. You will become prone to overtraining and injury. To maximize the benefits of weight training, the goal is to let the muscles rest after an intense workout. You have to give your muscles the time to rest, recover and get toned!

• Beginner Level: 3 full body workouts weekly on nonconsecutive days
• Intermediate Level: 4 2-day split routine workouts weekly (half the body one day, half the next)
• Advanced Level: 4 or 5 days weekly (3 or 4-day split routines)

-1 Set vs. 3 Sets of exercises. For beginners, 1 set of exercises weekly is the recommended starting point. After the initial 1 set week, it should be increased to 2 sets per week and then 3 sets on the third week. The 3 sets weekly full-body workout should be the baseline. The number of repetitions you use on your weight training depends on your goals, muscle development and fat loss. Use the following guidelines in establishing the number of reps/exercise you will use. The logic is to use a range of repetition instead of a fixed number of repetition. Doing a range of repetitions helps condition and prepare the muscles for progressive resistance.
• 1 – 5 reps for Strength and Power
• 6 – 12 reps for Bulk and Strength
• 12 – 20 reps for Endurance
• 10 – 25 reps for Abdominals and Calves

-At the Beginner’s Level, start with just one exercise. Go up to the Intermediate and Advanced levels only when the body and muscles have adjusted to progressive resistance.

• Beginner Level: 1 Exercise/Muscle Group (full body workout)
• Intermediate Level: 2 Exercises/Muscle Group (2-day split)
• Advanced Level: 3 Exercises/Muscle Group (3-day split)

-Normally, you should take approximately a 1-minute rest in between sets. However, since your goal is fat and weight loss, gradually reduce your rest intervals to as little as 30-45 seconds between sets to induce an aerobic effect to your weight workouts and increase growth hormone release.

-You should always perform your repetitions slowly and under control: 2-3 seconds to raise the weight and 3-4 to lower the weight. Avoid fast, bouncing or uncontrolled movements. Raising or lowering weights quickly uses up energy and takes the stress off the muscle group you are trying to develop and increases the possibility of injury.
• 2-3 second to lift weight
-pause at the top
• 3-4 second eccentric (lowering the weight)
- pause at the bottom

-Do not be impatient when doing your weight exercises. Add weights and increase the duration of exercises only when you are positive your system can handle it. Do not go up to intermediate and training levels unless your weekly progress record warrants it. When you increase the weights, make sure they are in small increments to avoid burnout. Achieving fitness and a healthy lifestyle can not be fast tracked!

-As a beginner, it is best to start training your entire body in one session. Performing full body workouts 3 days weekly should be your target. Only after 3 or 4 months  (minimum) should you consider going up to the next level. When you advance, it is better to split your routines in order to be able to add more exercises to your regimen and avoid overtraining.

Cross Country Skiing. Cross-country ski machines have a very high calorie and fat burning potential and is a non-impact exercise. Unlike other exercise machines, using a cross country ski machine requires skill and coordination.

Elliptical Machine. Ellipticals have gained the distinction as the most popular exercise machine because they provide very high fat-burning potential together with excellent aerobic conditioning and muscle-developing workout that’s at the same time easy to learn, fun and entertaining. Its no-impact elliptical striding motion is an ideal exercise to strengthen the knees and lower extremities. Elliptical machines also provide excellent cross-training advantages. Depending on the machine cross ramp angle different, the machine can simulate such activities as hiking, cycling, running, walking and cross-country skiing targeting different muscle groups.

Outdoor Cycling. If you choose outdoor cycling instead of riding an indoor stationary bike, keep in mind that you have to push yourself harder and for longer periods. Due to the distraction of the scenery, outdoor cycling tends to become recreation-oriented rather than training-oriented.

Rowing Machine. Rowing is regarded to be the most complete exercise because it works all of the body’s major muscle groups such as the legs, buttocks, back, abdominals and arms. It is a safe and non-impact activity but is not recommended if you have low back problems. Generally, rowing is an excellent exercise for burning fat, endurance and strength conditioning workout; however, it is very exhausting and difficult to sustain for long periods.

Running. One of the highly recommended aerobics exercise is running. It is an excellent way to burn off excess fat and does not require any special equipment, just a pair of good running shoes! Running is classified as a high impact exercise and as such is not recommended for beginners. Overweight individuals should avoid running until after considerable weight loss because of the high risk of injury. Running has an overall reducing effect on muscles so don’t overdo it if you decide to include running in your regimen.

Stairclimbers. Stair climbing machines provide an excellent aerobic conditioning workout and are ideal for weight loss. Stairclimbers effectively target the body’s gluteals, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves and provides several levels of difficulty for the beginner to the advanced levels. You can adjust the intensity of your workout at any time with the easy to use control buttons.

Stationary Recumbent Bicycle. Recumbent bicycling has all the advantages of upright cycling but is more comfortable than the upright version because the lower back is supported. The ergonomically designed seat makes recumbent cycling perfect for people who have lower back problems or are overweight. It also provides a good work out for the gluteal and hamstring muscles since you push the pedals forward instead of up and down.

Stationary Upright Bicycle. Another low impact exercise is stationary cycling on an upright bicycle. Some stationary bikes have built-in pre-programmed courses that allow the rider to ride on an even keel, go uphill or do interval training. The rider can increase the exercise intensity by pedaling vigorously or by increasing the resistance on the pedal.

Treadmill. You can either walk, jog or run on a treadmill. Exercises done on a treadmill are considered low impact because the decks flex thereby greatly reducing the potential of injury. Treadmills offer continuous feedback on time, speed, distance and heart rate; you can also put it on an incline to increase the intensity of your workout and burn more calories. Your workout is not hampered weather conditions since you can use it indoors.

Walking. Walking is highly recommended for the sedentary or overweight individual as a basic exercise to induce fat and weight loss. It is considered as a low to moderate exercise and should be done briskly and continuously for at least 30 minutes in order to achieve successful fat and weight loss.

If you have a completely sedentary lifestyle, are overweight or have poor physical condition, it is recommended that you start your training at an intensity level lower than your minimum target heart rate. Start slowly, and gradually increase the intensity of your aerobic workouts as you become more fit until you eventually reach the ideal OTL.

By monitoring your breathing patterns when performing aerobic workouts, you will be able to accurately tell if the level you are working at is your OTL to burn off body fat. You should be breathing heavier than normal but not gasping for air; if you are out of breath but can’t hold a conversation or complete a sentence, you are definitely working beyond your OTL. When you are doing aerobic workouts, the rule of thumb is the harder you breathe, the higher your intensity level is and the more fat you burn – as long as you sustain the activity for the required amount of time. If you are not breathing hard, you are not working out hard enough!

When performing your aerobics workout, you should periodically monitor your pulse rate to determine if you are within your THR @ OTL so that you can make the necessary adjustments by increasing or decreasing the intensity of your activity.

You can check your pulse rate by dividing your THR by 6 to calculate your 10-second count; this way, you do not have to stop our workout if you were to take a full 60-second count.

You might not know, but the Cardio Cruiser combines the recumbent bike, elliptical machine, and stair mill into one single exercise equipment. The Cardio Cruiser is more effective than any of those other machines mentioned above. With a customizable workout that can be completed at any time, you’ll see results fast. When you make the decision to purchase the cardio cruiser, you are making a decision to change the way that you look and feel. Not only will you be purchasing the best machine on the market, but you’ll also have help from Cardio Cruiser’s expert team.

With every purchase of the Cardio Cruiser, you’ll receive a great DVD and an easy to ready booklet that will help you get your fitness routine started the right way. Beginning a workout routine on a new machine can be difficult, but these helpful tools will make it all a lot easier. The result will be faster fat burning and you’ll pretty much replace fat with good looking muscles. This is the true power of Whey Protein when combined with physical exercise.