Your Best Body

Lift Weights

Strength training is a crucial factor in losing fat. Not only does it make your body and bones stronger, it also helps to raise your metabolism so you burn more calories all day long. For those wanting to lose weight:

• Target all your muscle groups at least twice a week, with a day or two of rest in between workouts
• Keep your reps between 10-16 to focus on building muscle and endurance. For strength, keep your reps between 4-8.
• Lift enough weight so that your last rep is difficult, but not impossible
• Don't be afraid to lift heavy (women included)

Strength training is also important for getting your body ready for summer activities like gardening, swimming, golfing, tennis, hiking, bike riding or any number of things we often don't do in the winter. If you haven't been exercising this winter, you set yourself up for injury when you jump into summer sports with little preparation. Even a simple total body workout twice a week can help you get strong...even better is a sports-specific program.

These resources will help you get started:

• Learn About Your Shoulders
  • Shoulder Exercises
• Learn About Your Chest
  • Chest Exercises
• Learn About Your Back
  • Back Exercises
• Learn About Your Biceps
  • Biceps Exercises
• Learn About Your Triceps
  • Triceps Exercises
• Learn About Your Butt
  • Butt Exercises

Need more? Try these resources:

• Weight Training 101
• Workout Center
• Beginner's Corner

Cardio

Cardio, like weight training, is crucial for losing fat as well as building endurance and making your heart strong for summertime activities. Choose activities you enjoy and make sure you get your heart rate up into your target heart rate zone, shooting for at least 20-30 minutes per workout. How much cardio you do depends on what you're trying to accomplish:

• To build muscle: Keep your cardio at about 20-30 minutes, 2-3 days a week to keep your heart in shape without burning too many calories.
• To lose fat: Start with 3 days of cardio (if you're a beginner) and work your way up to 4 to 6 days a week for 30 to 60 minutes of things like running and walking. Learn more at my Workout Center or see Cardio 101.

If you're just getting started, make it easier on yourself by:

1. Scheduling your workouts: Treat them like any important appointment
2. Keeping track of your workouts: Knowing you have to write them down is added motivation
3. Finding someone to workout with: You'll be more likely to show up
4. Starting where you are: Ease into exercise and allow your body time to get into shape
5. Not giving up: You may fall off the wagon. If that happens, don't waste energy kicking yourself. Just get back to your routine and know it happens to all of us
6. Doing things you enjoy: There's no reason you have to do activities you hate, so find cardio exercises that are accessible and enjoyable for you

As with weight training, a little cardio can go a long way towards getting you in shape for summer activities. Try to stick with activities that resemble what you'll be doing. If you'll be hiking, take walks, use the step mill or use the incline on a treadmill. If you'll be playing tennis, practice something similar such as handball or raquetball. You can also practice lateral movement (side shuffles and lunges) to get your legs ready to dive for the ball.

Eating

None of the above is going to work unless you're eating right.

If you want to build muscle, you should be eating more calories than you burn. The key is to add healthy calories to your diet so you can avoid heart disease, high cholesterol, etc. You need to be just as vigilant about your eating to gain weight as you do to lose it. My article, How to Build Muscle offers specific tips for gaining muscle in a healthy way.

If you want to lose body fat, you need to eat less calories than you burn. The key is to safely reduce your calories so that your body can continue to function while still losing weight. Taking your calories too low can actually stall your weight loss, so take some time to determine how many calories you need.

Experts generally recommend losing no more than 1 to 2 pounds a week in order to preserve your muscle mass and keep the weight off permanently. Your job is simply to make better choices that will help you reduce your calorie intake from about 300 to 500 calories each day. About.com's Weight Loss Guide, Jennifer, has some great tips on cutting out calories.

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