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Posts Tagged ‘Weight Loss’

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One of the ways that medical professionals determine if you are overweight is by a rating called body mass index. BMI is an approximate measure of body fat based on weight and height proportion. BMI was designed to get an approximation or snapshot of body fat – it can over estimate Body fat in those with a lot of lean muscle mass, like weightlifters. BMI is calculated by taking your weight in pounds, multiplying by 703 and dividing that number by your height in inches squared. Compare the results as follows:
BMI
Weight Status :
Below 18.5 – Underweight
18.5 -24.9 – Normal
25 – 29.9 – Overweight
30 & Above – Obese

Now while it is true that professional weightlifters and especially professional bodybuilders whose regimen and diet is specifically programmed to increase lean muscle for “show” and eliminate as much body fat as possible – can have an inaccurate reading on their BMI. A competitive body builder for example has on average only 4% body fat!  But for most of us, if you have not already picked up the sport of weight lifting – and you hit in the 25 or over range on that chart, the truth is there is no better way to lower that BMI and get in shape the weightlifting.

Weightlifting eliminates most of the problems of yo- yo dieting by building lean muscle mass and increasing metabolism. Especially for ageing baby boomers who see those BMI number creeping up and want to do something about it – weight lifting is the way to go.

For weight control it is best to combine weightlifting with cardiovascular workouts, and of course healthy eating. Foods rich in fiber and whole grains and low in fat are the keys to effective weight loss when combined with weight training and exercise. And don’t forget to also drink a lot of water. It is important if yo really want to lower your BMI and get in better shape that you combine your weight lifting with cardio work outs. In the first place you should never lift weight without doing some kind of cardio warm up first – just to get the heat and lungs pumping. Also if you are really weightlifting to sculpt a defined and toned body – you need the cardio to burn calories and fat.

In developing a weightlifting routine designed t maximize health, strength, build muscle and reduce your BMI – it is important not to overtrain. That means rotate you muscle groups. And you also need to be aware of primary and secondary muscle groups. What that means is that there are weightlifting exercises that are designed to work a primary muscle group, but since almost all muscles are interconnected they also will train a secondary muscle group. This is the very reason why weightlifting gives you so much “bang for the buck” and a total body work out. For example just about every lift to build chest and shoulders also works the triceps. So if you do triceps on one day, followed by chest the next, and the shoulders the following you will overwork and overtrain the triceps. A good rotation is or split would be: Monday – Chest/Triceps, Tuesday – Break, Wednesday – Back/Biceps, Thursday – Break, Friday – Legs/Shoulders, Saturday & Sunday Break..

When it comes to exercise equipment, with the possible exception of the jump rope you really cant get much more basic then the gear you need for weight lifting. The first body builders probably just used very big rocks! But seriously, one of the nice thing about weight lifting is not only is it a great way to get in shape, and build strength and self confidence – it does not really require any real fancy or expensive equipment.

Now you can join a gym and have access to all the weight lifting gear you can imagine, both free weights and machines. But you can also accomplish many of the benefits of weight lifting with a basic set of barbells, dumbbells, and a good home work out regimen. Dumbbells usually are the familiar one-piece bone-shaped hand weights. Barbells are usually used for the more advanced workouts and longer muscle groups. This is the long bar with adjustable weight by adding or subtracting weighted plates. Although you can purchase a dumbbell-sized bar, and effectively use plates to make a dumbbell, generally speaking Dumbbells are fixed weights.

For basic weight lifting most pros recommend a 5-50lb Hex Dumbbell set. The hex refers to the shape of the weights – they are hexagonal rather then round, so they will not roll when you put them down. You walls and your toes will thank you. 5- 50lbHex sets can be purchased for under 500.00 complete with racks. As far as a Barbell set goes it depends on how much weight you want to have available to you in terms of the plates. And the nice thing about barbells is of course you can always purchase additional weight plates as you lift and increase you abilities. But a decent starter set of Barbells and plates is definitely under 200.00. Garage sales are a great place to find barbells and plates – unfortunately people do not always stick with their commitment to lift weights. A curling bar is also a good idea. Basically a curved barbell (you can use the same plates as on your straight bar) that makes the action of doing curls easier. You also may want to pick up a weight bench. This too can often be found used. A weight bench is essential for doing many weight lifting exercises for the back and chest – and it also can be used for ab crunches, and triceps dips with your dumbbells.

Other accessories you may want to consider are a good pair of weight lifting gloves to protect your hands while lifting. Unless you have a back problem you already are aware of weight belts for additional support are usually not necessary for basic weight lifting workouts. In fact some trainers so they do more harm then good because they allow a lifter to lift more then they really are physically capable of, and cause certain muscles in the forearms and lower back to receive less of a work out and less of a benefit from your weight lift routine. Don’t forget that the basic physics of weight lifting is to apply force against muscle contraction to overcome the force of gravity – that same feat can be accomplished by lifting your body weight – and if you are really on a tight budget or pressed for space a simple chin-up bar can be installed in any doorway to get in some lifting and strength training.