Beautiful Body Essentials EBook | Page 23

Lifting Basics If you've hesitated to begin a strength training regimen, it might motivate you to know that lifting weights can: Help elevate your metabolism. Muscle burns off a lot of calories t, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn off all day long. � Fortify bones, particularly crucial for women � Make you stronger and better muscular endurance � Help you prevent injuries � Better your confidence and self-pride � Better coordination and balance Getting going with strength training may be confusing--what exercises can you do? How many sets and reps? How much lifting? The routine you pick out will be based on your fitness goals as well as the tools you have available and the time you have for exercises. If you're establishing your own program, you'll have to understand some basic strength training rules. These rules will teach you how to make certain you're utilizing adequate weight, determine your sets and reps and insure you're always advancing in your workouts. To build muscle, you have to utilize more resistance than your muscles are used to. This is crucial as the more you do, the more your - 23 -