We have all been there. We head to the gym only to pass the hour on a treadmill or an elliptical machine, sweat a TON, and leave feeling like we are on the way to a beach bod in no time. However, I am here to tell you that I have made my way toward bigger and better things in the gym, and I am ready for you to join me.
Do not get me wrong, having any motivation to work out at all is wonderful, and the feeling after cardio is almost euphoric, but it is not the only way to achieve amazing results. Steady state cardio can absolutely burn fat in areas such as your stomach and booty, but only in a small amount. I do not want to get too medical on you, but over time, your body will become accustomed to your cardio routine, and soon enough you will burn less and less energy each time you hop on your exercise machine of choice. This will not lead to fat loss. Do not ditch the idea of cardio just yet, though. A great way to reduce stress, burn more calories than steady state cardio (and also look like a complete bad-ass at the gym) is interval training, which is working extra hard and fast in shorter bursts. The speeds can easily be controlled on the treadmill.
But, my workout of choice? Resistance training. According to celebrity trainer Elizabeth Hendrix Burwell, "strength training builds lean muscle mass, which both increases your metabolism and decreases fat...the more muscle you build, the more calories you burn on a day-to-day basis." Also, your body will continue to burn calories after your resistance workout (for up to 72 hours!), because more calories are used to maintain muscle than fat. Do not think that lifting weights and using the resistance training machines will make you "bulk" up and make you look like you are participating in a body building contest. Trust me, those competitors go through extremes to look the way that they do. Strength training will actually just tone you up and produce lean muscle mass, while also making you physically stronger. Who wants to be the weak one in the room?
Another reason I gravitated away from only doing cardio was the fact that strength training really boosts my mood and makes me feel more energetic than ever. Sure, my muscles are tired after I leave the gym, but my endorphin levels are crazy. Also, this may sound weird, but waking up sore the next morning is actually one of the most amazing feelings in the world. I actually feel like I accomplished something at the gym; being sore is like your body promising you results.
Get started in a simple way. By no means do you absolutely need your own full set of free weights or a membership at the gym in order to begin training. Do some lunges around your house, or even some push-ups or planks before bed, using your body weight as the resistance. It takes time, but eventually you will be completing amazing workouts that each of your muscle groups will benefit from. Trust me: you will not be disappointed.
