Given our culture, it is easy to assume that weight lifting is only for the people wanting muscle bound bodies or for professional athletes. In fact, lifting weights is a necessity for all of us once we reach our mid twenties. This is because our metabolism begins to slow down at this point.
The body begins losing lean tissue mass (muscle) in our mid twenties and continues to do so for the rest of our lives. When this happens, our body composition changes and fat begins to take on a higher percentage in our tissues. This fat can lead to all kinds of health issues and may be a precursor for Coronary Heart Disease.
By spending the time lifting weights you can alter the fat and muscle ratio. You can add muscle and lose fat. Muscle burns more calories then fat. Sports are wonderful way to keep your cardiovascular system going strong. However, you need to lift weights to actually build the most muscle.
Athletes of all levels should understand the positives of weight lifting. These benefits include improve endurance and lower fat ratio in their body composition. You will also become stronger which adds power to your athletic ability. This can increase your oddes of athletic success.
If you are serious about your body and in winning that 3- on-3 tournament, then you need to get serious about weight lifting. Proper nutrition is vital if your weight lifting is to yield positive and tangible results. Without the proper raw materials like protein, carbohydrates, and essential fatty acids, you run the risk of injuring your body or losing muscle size.
Adding weight lifting to your activities means that you will have to increase your calorie intake by 500 or more calories per day so that you have the extra energy needed to sustain muscle growth and keep your body in optimum condition. Otherwise, your body will begin to breakdown muscles in order to serve its energy needs.
Whenever you add weight lifting into your routine, it is best to keep a log of both your diet and exercises. In this log you can track your body fat percentage, calorie intake, and the results from your weight lifting. Only by tracking progress will you be able to know what is working and what needs adjusting.
As stated in the beginning, everyone really should include weight lifting in their lives once they hit their mid twenties if they have not already done so. As two-thirds of Americans are considered to be overweight, the battle of the bulge is being lost. Playing sports is a great start, but weight lifting helps build muscles and they keep burning the calories. Just a simple set of dumbbells can be a great start that will put you on the road to a healthier life and ahead of the curve in the battle of the bulge.
About the author: Gwen Webcke is the chief writer at FX for Sports, it's one of the webs most up to date Sports sites, why not sign up for the free Sports newsletter. If you want to read more Sports articles go to: www.fxfsports.com/articles
This and other unique content sports articles are available with free reprint rights.
