This may explain why you were able to eat more when you were young. And, since muscle is denser than fat and takes up less space (even though you weigh the same), your body doesn't quite look the same and that size 8 is now a size 12.

Aerobic exercise will help burn the excess fat, but cannot delay the natural diminishing in overall body muscle tissue associated with the aging process. There are no magic pills or treatments... strength training is the only cure.

Fact or Fiction?

Fact: Strength training will help you burn more calories and promote a healthier immune system.
Fiction: Aerobics activity alone will shed the excess weight and tone your muscles.
Fact: Calories are burned up to 20 minutes after an end of a strength training workout.
Fiction: Lifting weights are for people that only want to get bulky and muscular.

There are many common misconceptions about strength training that a lot of people carry in their mind. If you lift weights, you will get bulky and muscular. WRONG!! The problem is that people are uneducated about what strength training is all about. Yes, there are people (usually guys) that go into the weight area, make all kinds of noise, and lift insain amounts of weight in attempt to get bigger and attract attention to themselves. They usually just end up embarrassing themselves and promote serious injuries.

Lifting weights will not make you bigger if you know what you are doing (women especially). So many people go into the gym that perform strength training exercises with horrible form and too light of a weight. Why even waste your time? Women do not have to worry about getting muscular. It simply will not happen unless you lift really heavy and follow a strict protein and nutrition diet. What strength training will do for women (and men) is tone you up dramtically if done right. Men will most likely see some growth in their muscles unless they lift light and use high reps. The fact is that if you are trying to tone up and harden those muscles, you must do strength training to get that defined look. Lifting somewhat light and with higher reps (15-20) will do that for you. If you are trying to get bigger, then you would want to lift heavy with fewer reps (10-12).

Of course, you don't want to stop your aerobic activity since that will help you shed that excess fat that you don't want. The most important ingredient into toning up and maintaining the muscle you have now is a proper diet and sufficient amounts of protein. Click here to go back and to learn more about strength training and proper diets.


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