Lift More to Shrink Your Body

Lifting won't bulk you up, it will boost your metabolism, reduce body fat, and sculpt your body shape, making you look smaller, firmer, and sexier.

Lift More to Shrink Your Body

Are you ready to unlock the secret to a leaner, fitter you?

It's time to debunk the misconception that lifting weights will bulk you up and that cardio is the key to weight loss.

In this blog, we'll dive into the transformative power of strength training for women over 40, shedding light on how it can supercharge your metabolism, melt away fat while preserving your precious muscle, and sculpt your body into a lean, elegant masterpiece.

Say goodbye to the treadmill monotony and embrace a workout that not only makes you feel firmer and more energetic but also elongates your muscles, leaving you with a newfound confidence in your body.

So, if you've been skeptical about ditching cardio, hold onto your dumbbells. Strength training is about to become your fitness BFF.

The secret to shrinking your body is strength training

Many women shy away from lifting weights because they are afraid that they will bulk up, and they’ve bought into the myth that cardio is the key to weight loss.

The fact is, for most women, bulking up is virtually impossible. And though cardio is essential for good heart health, strength training delivers a whole lot more bang for your exercise buck.

What strength training does is boost your metabolism, reduce your body fat, and sculpt your body shape, making you look smaller, firmer, and more gorgeous.

If I lift heavy weights I’ll look like a man!

No. No you won’t. And here’s why. To build massive muscles you would need to eat huge quantities and train hard, often for years. Body builders don’t magically attain their competition bodies. They work at it through diet and exercise, consistently, for a very long time.

So cast aside the myth that lifting three days a week will make you bulk. Cleaning up your diet and adding weights to your exercise program won’t make you look like the Hulk.

Lifting will do exactly the opposite of making you look like a man. Lifting increases your lean muscle mass, helping you tone your whole body, blast off fat, and shape the body you want. Strength training will let you take what nature gave you and make it even better.

Weight training burns more calories

Weight training boosts your metabolism by continuing to use energy to repair muscle fibers after you finish your work out. Researchers have found that a full body workout that uses three large muscle groups can raise your metabolism as much as 48 hours after you finish working out.

That means you’ll burn more calories just sitting on the couch.

With a cardio workout you earn the calorie burning benefits while you are at the gym and for an hour or less after you finish. Your metabolism goes back to its usual rate more quickly than it does with strength training so while you burn more during the actual workout you end up burning less overall. Building muscle equals a bigger burn.

Lose fat not muscle

When you are trying to lose weight, what you really want to do is lose fat. To do that, you absolutely have to run a calorie deficit. And a calorie deficit is actually an energy deficit.

When your body runs out of food energy it turns to what it has stored. The trick is to get your body to burn fat stores and not muscle stores (especially as we age and naturally lose some muscle mass), and you do that by maintaining or increasing your strength as you lose weight.

What do you need to do to increase your strength? Lift more.

Studies consistently show that people who combine resistance training and reduce their caloric intake lose more fat than those who limit themselves to aerobic exercise. That’s because they are building muscle while they are burning calories. That tells your body it should work on your fat stores instead.

Sculpt and tone your body

One of the best shrinking tools you get from lifting weights is the ability to sculpt your body. We all have “problem areas” or “favorite parts” of our bodies that we would either like to re-shape or accentuate. Strength training lets you target those areas specifically.

This isn't 'spot reducing', rather it is 'spot sculpting'

Want to lose the bat wings and have fantastic arms? There’s an exercise for that. Dislike your “pear shape?” You can build your upper body and choose exercises that strengthen and elongate the muscles in your hips and thighs to help create a more balanced shape. Lifting weights allows you to train for the body you want.

Many of us spend hours on cardio machines trying to get rid of the offending flab but the real key to the perfect booty is building a muscle base. Squats and deadlifts will lift and tone your derrière in a way that no amount of time on the stair climber can. Shoulder presses and pull-ups will create definition in your arms and back that has you reaching for your sleeveless tops.

Muscle makes the figure.

A pound is a pound, but a pound of muscle looks better than a pound of fat

Fat takes up more space than muscle. Fat is fluffy. So while a pound weighs sixteen ounces regardless of whether it’s made of fat or muscle, muscles are 18% more dense than fat so they take up less space. That means that two 120lb women standing side by side can be totally different sizes. The one who lifts is smaller.

We all want to be our most fit. We want firm, healthy bodies that make us feel smaller, stronger and sexier. Who doesn't want to step out of the house proud of the way they look in their clothes?

The best way to achieve that goal is to lift those weights.

There are many ways to strength train

Don’t overthink it. If you're reluctant to use dumbbells or weight machines at first, start with squats, push ups, and lunges - just using your bodyweight. Then add some resistance bands or small weights. As your body confidence grows you’ll feel more comfortable trying new things. There is nothing wrong with getting your strength training started at home in the basement with two milk jugs and some resistance bands!

You're not just (re)shaping your body; you're shaping a stronger, more confident, more resilient you.

In the world of fitness, myths often stand in the way of progress. But you, as a woman over 40, are rewriting the script. You've discovered the power of strength training – a game-changer that won't bulk you up, but rather, sculpt your body into a masterpiece of strength and grace.

As we wrap up, remember that embracing the weight room is not just about the physical transformation; it's about the mental one too. The confidence gained, the resilience developed, and the empowerment felt with every lift are priceless.

So, bid farewell to the notion that cardio reigns supreme. Instead, embrace the rhythm of weights and the symphony of muscle engagement. Continue on this path, for it's the one that leads to a leaner, firmer, and more vibrant version of you. Your body is a masterpiece in progress, and every lift is a stroke of artistry. Keep sculpting, keep lifting, and keep shining.

Your fitness transformation journey is an ongoing masterpiece. Keep crafting it, one lift at a time.

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Check out my 2 FREE resources to get started on lifting to shrink your body!

My Easy Start Exercise Guide is perfect if you are new to strength training, aren't ready to invest in a gym or equipment, and aren't sure what exercises to do or how. Stop driving yourself crazy looking for suitable exercises, equipment and gyms, click here to download!

In The Top 9 Muscle Building Exercises, I’ve put together 9 muscle & strength-building exercises that focus on MOVEMENTS (rather than specific muscles) like lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling — all things we do in our daily lives - to get you real body-sculpting and strengthening results in the LEAST amount of time. It is ok for beginners as well, but there's a great deal more information, types of exercises and combinations. Click here to download!

Categories: : Move