LEE-ANNE WANN JULY 20TH © Lee-Anne Wann Limited 2011

THE IMPORTANCE OF WEIGHT / RESISTANCE TRAINING

The number one fitness problem for most people is loss of muscle mass.

Muscle mass diminishes with age and if you don't use it, you loose it. It's that simple.

Decreased muscle mass can rob you of your health, mobility, self-esteem and independence. Decreased muscle mass leads to slower metabolism and consequently increased fat storage. It can lead to increase risk of osteoporosis and skeletal fragility.

Males and females increase their muscle size and strength through growth and development until around the age of 20. Unless strength building techniques are practiced beyond that age, on average, 250 grams of muscle will be lost each year and after the age of fifty that amount increases. If you continue to eat the same approximate number of calories per day, this loss of muscle will be replaced by subcutaneous fat as well as fatty tissue infiltration of your organs and existing muscles.

Muscle tissue is active tissue and has high caloric demands-even at rest. Under resting conditions, ½ a kg of muscle tissue, on average burns between thirty five and fifty calories per hour. Without strength building, by the time you're forty, you've already lost approximately 5kg of muscle and lowered your metabolic rate by about 10%.

If you're like the majority of the population, you've also gained at least 10kg (this number on average is low). Where does that leave you? With an extra 15kg of fat and an out-of-shape body! You've heard the common aging compliant, "my metabolism is slowing down." Metabolically we don't slow down because of increasing age but rather because the amount of lean muscle mass decreases without proper stimulus to our muscles.

Do not buy into the misconception that all we need to do is move our bodies to become stronger. Much of the movement that our bodies experience is against a random resistance such as the Earth's gravitational pull. Movement is good for many reasons but in order to improve our muscle mass and therefore strength, resistance is what counts.

Muscles will increase in size, strength and endurance only when that muscle is forced to work against a measured amount of resistance. If gains are to be continued, the resistance must be made harder and harder. When a muscle is overloaded, it adapts by becoming stronger. More specifically, muscles respond to stress (force) by increasing their protein content and thus developing larger fibers, which then produce larger muscles that have greater strength capacity and have a higher energy (caloric) demand.

Where does the "resistance" come from? Resistance force can include gym type machines, free weights, stretch bands, ankle and wrist weights and even your own body weight. Resistance Training a minimum of 2-3 times per week is a great place to start. This allows the muscle fibres time to heal and rebuild and be prepared for the greater demands of a higher force (resistance) next workout.

Lee-AnneWann info & tip sheets are designed for educational purposes only and are not intended to replace medical advice or professional medical services. The information contained on this page is intended as an aid to fitness and wellness maintenance. Any medical or other decisions should be made in consultation with your qualified health care provider.