Lifting weights or Toning is the exact same thing!

You are working a muscle, regardless if you use your body weights or actual weights (except the language used) for men and women.

Here are the top 8 reasons why you should lift at least once a week (high rep low weight for bulk less body):

1)    Caloric burn! With light or no resistance, you are basically wasting your time.  Lay the body’s foundation with weights (yoga and ballet inspired workouts are great for other purposes like strengthening the little muscles, elongating and cardio).

2)    Be strong! Weight lifting gives a muscle strength and firmness.

3)    You won’t get bulky! This is a misconception of using weights. This statement is far from the truth!! Bulking up occurs mostly due to increased appetite and not enough cardio or yoga to lean out.

4)    Weight lifting maintains muscle mass while lowering your body fat. Muscle separation (cuts) occurs when muscles are worked independently in all directions (do several different exercises for 1 muscle group).

5)    Your metabolism will be in high gear! Having a muscle on your body is a good thing because your metabolism will be kicking when you are chilling and when you can’t make it to the gym.

6)     Posture! Shoulders point or cave forward because the chest is overly tight from sitting hunched forward over the computer or driving.  Back, chest and core exercises can greatly improve strength assisting you to sit up straight, making you appear slimmer.

7)    Give your pups a perk up! Even if you don’t have much there a little muscle will make them look bigger! Especially the decline exercises, these exercises will help to lift up the twins to say hello, and goodbye to double side boob!

8)    Don’t give cellulite a chance! Diet alone won’t prevent it! Fat cells can only shrink, they never go away once they’ve multiplied and if the area isn’t worked they will enlarge and keep multiplying.

 Keep in mind your body works like a pulley system, a balance between working the upper and lower body is super
important front, back, top and bottom. Work your entire body in order to burn fat and look great everywhere (there’s no such thing as spot treatment)!!

Incorporate these 3 key elements to burn fat and keep it off with 1) regular cardio
exercise, 2) consistent strength training for all your muscle groups and 3) a healthy balanced diet.