Lifting heavy weights…it’s not just for men ladies!

I‘m not sure if it’s the natural athletic and tomboy side of me, but when it comes to lifting weights, I am not afraid to go hard at the gym.  I’ll jump right in and do bench presses and squats next to the guys with no hesitation.  However, I know a lot of my girl friends who are afraid to hit the weights for fear that they will “bulk” up.  Ladies, that is a myth.   It is physically impossible (with the exception of muscle enhancers known as steroids) as a woman to turn into a professional body builder simply by lifting a few heavy weights at the gym during the week.  This is because women do not produce as much of the muscle building hormone, testosterone, as men do.  For the women that do compete in body-building competitions and have grown their muscles naturally, it’s due to a strict regimen of proper nutrition and hours upon hours spent lifting very heavy weights.   The weights I lift and time I spend in the gym will definitely not have me looking like the female Arnold Schwarzenegger.  It will however, get me toned, tightened, and keep burning calories long after I put my dumbbells back on the weight rack.

Shape Magazine also put together an article with 8 reasons why women should lift heavier weights.  My favorite reasons are #4 and #6.  If you are interested, here are more weight lifting exercises you can do.

Like with any new exercises, it’s best to move to heavier weights in increments.  If you find yourself doing 100 reps of bicep curls with 5 pound dumbbells and not breaking a sweat, I would move up to an 8 pound dumbbell, and you should feel a difference.  Then within time, you can work your way up to 10 and 12 pound weights.  Be careful not to jump to heavy weights too quickly.  Only do what your body can handle, or else you can get injured and discouraged.  Stay healthy readers!

Cheers!

Working out while juicing

Yesterday was my first true workout while on my juicing fast.  I had gone to the gym Sunday night, but I only did about 25 minutes of indoor cycling and some ab exercises.  I didn’t want to make myself too sore for last night’s workout, so I kept my Sunday workout pretty low-key.

Before I go into my energy levels, let me begin by saying that I work at a football stadium, and one of the perks is that employees get to do group stadium workouts for free with certified trainers who give us various stadium and weight-lifting exercises to perform.  I’ve only recently started going to these workouts, and I really enjoy it.  Here’s what last night’s workout entailed:

• 5 minute warm-up of jogging on the field (end zone to end zone)
• 2 minutes (divided into 30 second increments) of plank/bridge at 50 yard line and run to end zone and back
• 10 walking lunges at 50 yard line and run to end zone and back-2x
• Run from the field up to the top row of the stadium and back down-2x
• Various squats, squat-presses, over-head triceps presses, and lunges with a dumbbell (Being the competitive person I am, I chose the 12 pound weight. It kicked my butt!)
• Final 15 minutes is a variety of ab exercises

This workout lasts for an hour only, but I have never worked so hard in my life.  The running and weights I can handle; stairs is a whole different story.  My legs feel like the equivalent of spaghetti noodles when I’m done.  I enjoy it though.  Now that the sun stays out later, and the weather is a bit warmer, working out isn’t as grueling as it was in the winter months.

Now, moving on to my energy level.  I was so worried I was going to be low on energy, that I made sure to drink 8 oz. of my juice about 15 minutes before my workout.  That juice consisted of beets, carrots, strawberries, kale, and a few clementine tangerines.  All throughout my workout my energy remained pretty constant.  I felt great as I was running ( I usually end up walking towards the end of the hour, but I didn’t have to this time), and even though the stairs are always brutal, I pushed through it and made it to the top.

I think the most surprising thing was the fact that I wasn’t hungry after my workout.  I drank a cup of coconut water immediately after my workout to replenish my electrolytes, and I ended my night with a carrot, cucumber, celery, and clementine tangerine juice.

All in all, I was very surprised and satisfied with how well my first workout was while on this fast.  It proved to me that just because I’m not eating solid food, I am still getting the energy and nutrients I need to have a successful workout.  I’m going again tonight for round 2, so hopefully it goes just as well.

Cheers!