Pumping iron over cardio

Well with the weekend over it's time to hit the gym with the start of the new week! But change things up a bit and try weightlifting instead of just straight cardio all the time. Diet and cardio are equally important, but weight training will help the most with changing how your body looks! Lifting weights will help raise your metabolism and actually burn more calories than cardio. Muscles burn more than fat, so the more muscle you have the more calories you'll be burning!

If you're just getting started with weight lifting, keep a few things in mind:

     -Make sure you choose at least one exercise for each major muscle group which include chest, back, shoulders, hamstrings, quads, calves, triceps, biceps and abs. Leaving muscle groups out will give you an imbalance in your muscles

     -It's recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine to do 8-12 reps for muscle strength and 10-15 reps for muscle endurance, for about 3 sets. When lifting to lose fat or gain endurance, lift enough weight that you can only complete your desired reps. But to gain muscle, do the number of sets until you're tired.

     -And finally just stretch before and remember to breath while lifting. Inhale as you resist the weight and exhale when you lift or push the weight.

You can find several sample workouts online that can be personalized to fit you! Have fun lifting when you're not hitting the treadmill!