benfits of weight training

kariev

Cathlete
I would love to hear what weight training has done for you ie: health, strength, weight control, muscle tone, etc.

How long have you been participating in weight training and was there a time when you only did cardio?

What type of weight training to you like best: splits vs full body, heavy vs light?

I love hearing about success stories.
 
Weight training is the difference between being "skinny fat" and "strong and lean"!!!! It rocks! Love my cardio and goodness knows I need it (and alot of it!) to keep my weight under control but I wouldn't look like I do if not for the weight training!!! No way!
 
Strength training is what gives me the lean look. I don't do a lot of total body workouts. I prefer to do 2 to 3 upper body whether that is all upper body or working 2 muscle groups a week. I compliment that with some added cardio and one leg workout a week. When I am train consistently my arm have a nice shape which gives the rest of my body a leaner look. I have been doing both for many years and will never opt to just do cardio.
 
I've been lifting weights since my late teens and that has gifted me with the ability to sail through two pregnancies and mostly what life has thrown at me mentally and physically. I've heard so much negative information regarding lifting over the years and how women shouldn't lift heavy . I love my muscles, its freedom on many fronts, and killer biceps are maybe a little bit of attitude showing that is the fashion sense I don't possess. I get this all the time, maybe spend a little less on my bikes and lifting equipment and more on my hair and clothes, etc. I think women owe it to themselves to go for it, and age doesn't matter either, look at Ernestine, she stared in her 50's. The other thing that a strong body gives you is confidence to try new sports, including boogie and snow boarding and kite skiing for me the last couple of years.
 
I feel like I've progressed with Cathe. When I first started weights in 1987 it was light weights with The Firm total body tapes. My muscles were sore and everything tightened up. I liked working out to tapes! Then I got the Step and found Cathe from videofitness.com. I loved MIS and BodyMax I and that's when I bought my barbell :). During that time I got married, learned to cook, and joined a gym. I worked full time and generally did a lot of cardio at the gym. I did total body weights maybe 2x a week. After I had my kids I was home. The gym was out! I was all in at home and started building my collection. I got the Intensity series and loved PUB and PLB (I still do). I started doing shorter, heavier split routines. I bought an indoor bike, quit the gym and worked out exclusively at home. I've since bought all of Cathe's dvd's and lifted heavier and heavier.I use everything and do what I feel like doing- Slow and Heavy, Gym Styles, Crosstrain Express and of course STS. As long as I'm shocking my system all the time it's good. All in all, I've maintained my weight since 1987. I'm in the National Nurses Survey and when I punched in my weights for the last 25 years the alert screen came up! Lifting weights helps me maintain my weight as does cardio and a decent diet. My blood pressure is low, my risks for heart disease are low and I hope I'm staving off osteoporosis! One thing I've always followed is that if I've got DOMS is one area, I'll wait until they're gone before hitting that muscle group again.

Beth
 
I've been strength training for about 6 years now, along with cardio. I used to only do cardio, and it wasn't until I started strength training that I noticed it was easier to lose weight and keep it off.

The best results I've experience with strength training has been by following the STS program. I have all of Cathe's strength DVDs and have done them all on a regular basis - but STS is the best.

When I'm not doing STS, I keep my strength training varied and I enjoy that. I also do two lower body training DVDs per week, and for me that has made a dramatic difference in my lower body. I used to only do one per week.

I weigh the same when I was only doing cardio, but I'm a size smaller, have much better posture and endurance.

Love strength training! I can't emphasize enough how important it is, and I think my friends get sick of hearing me say that because many of them think that weight training will make them bulk up. I guess you can't be a believer until you try it for yourself and really commit to it. :)
 
The best results I've experience with strength training has been by following the STS program. I have all of Cathe's strength DVDs and have done them all on a regular basis - but STS is the best.

I cannot agree more with this!
 

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top