Lift Weights. Lose Weight.

Seas Wellness Blog

Surely the headline is inaccurate. We all know that it’s cardio that makes you lose weight….right? Cardio no doubt can help you burn some serious calories which for those of us counting calories does help with weight loss (or weight maintenance if that’s your goal, lucky you!) The problem is we (especially women) have been so hypnotized to believe that cardio is the only answer for losing weight when it comes to exercise. If the fear of becoming bulky or too muscular is holding you back, throw that fear out the window. Muscles are in. Strong women have ALWAYS been in. But I should also note, that it’s really, really hard for women to get “bulky” so that truly shouldn’t hold you back in longer.
If you still aren’t 100% sold or motivated, consider these strength training benefits:
  • Weight lifting strengthens and tones your muscles. The strength part is obvious, but it is proven to helps prevent injury and make day-to-day activities easier. You know, like carrying all your grocery bags inside in one trip (don’t act like you don’t try it.) But weight training is crucial to toning. As a personal trainer, 90% of women I work with tell me they want toned muscles. You know what creates toning? Less fat, more muscle. You know creates more muscle? Lifting. 
  • It protects bone health and muscle mass. Hate to tell you but when we hit 30, we start losing as much as 3 to 5 percent of lean muscle mass per year, according to Harvard Health (so we know it’s legit). Lifting is even more important as we age. 
  • Helps you lose weight. Exercise science researchers suggest strength training increases your resting metabolism (simply put: the rate your body burns calories throughout the day, not exercising). Cardio burns calories in the moment, strength training continues burning long after you’ve stopped working out. Wait, I can do nothing but still burn calories? I really like the sound of that.
  • Boosts your mood. When you work out, your brain releases endorphins. Those are the feel good hormones that come out when you laugh, ahem – have sex, or exercise. We can all use some more positive vibes, so why not give strength training a try?
One important thing to note, if you are new to working out or have health problems or concerns, you should always consult with your doctor before starting any workout program.

If that doesn’t convince to lift some heavy sh….stuff, then I don’t know what will. Here is a challenging strength workout to keep you motivated! Ideally, you would have access to a swiss ball, mat, band, and set of weights. But, I’ll show some modifications if you don’t have some of the equipment.

Here’s how it works. This is a drop set workout with 7 exercises in a sequence. We will do an exercise for 20 seconds, and rest for 10. We will do this for all 7 exercises and then start at the top, this time, dropping off the last exercise (so we will do exercises 1-6, still for 20 seconds and resting for 10). We continue this pattern, dropping off the last exercise, until we are down to the first exercise only.

So, for you visual learners, it looks like this:

1-2-3-4-5-6-7
1-2-3-4-5-6
1-2-3-4-5
1-2-3-4
1-2-3
1-2
1

Once you complete the sequence, take a 1 minute break and then do that again with the exercises listed in Sequence 2, followed by a 1-minute hydration break, and then again for Sequence 3.

Sequence 1 (you will need a Swiss ball) 

  • Incline chest press
  • ABC Abs
  • Seated Shoulder press
  • Back fly over ball
  • Pike
  • Ham Curls
  • Inner thigh squeeze

Sequence 2 (you will need a band or weights)

  • Curls
  • Tricep extension
  • Squat to press
  • Upright row
  • Woodchop
  • Delt Pull
  • Front raise

Sequence 3 (you will need weights)

  • Side to side walks, 2x, push forward 1x 
  • Plie pulse 2x, I jump
  • Curtsy lunges
  • Plank
  • Good Morning
  • Bicep curls
  • Narrow foot squat to OH squat
Don’t forget to tag me at, @SeasWellness, if you complete the workout!

If you would like more workouts like this or tips on your improving your overall health, contact me for a FREE lifestyle assessment.

Sea you soon,

Kristy

© 2022 Seas Wellness LLC. All Rights Reserved.