Why should I weight train ?
Fitness is made up of a number of components and strength training is just one of them. Each facet of fitness follows different principles of training and need to be trained separately. So while cardiovascular workouts strengthen your heart and lung capacity making you more resistant to diseases, resistance training can help in other ways. Thus when one goes for a program, it is beneficial that all aspects are practiced to give an all-round balance of functions.
A very good reason for weight training is that although muscles weigh more than fat, muscles take up less space in the body. The more the lean mass percentage in the body and the higher the Basal Metabolic Rate, an indication of a high level of fitness which then can actually burn fat at a faster rate. Thus if you are looking at a fat loss programme, combining aerobics with weight training can actually help you speed up the process.
Another reason why you need to train the muscles in the body is that as they become stronger, the joints around them get more resilient and overall the body is more resistant to injury. With age, you lose 1 per cent of muscle every year after 25. If they are not regularly strengthened, think of the function deterioration that occurs and that you can do without. Stronger muscles, sturdier joints and toned skin (a result of tauter musculature) all go a long way in slowing the ageing process.
Strength training includes conditioning, toning, sculpting and building the muscles in the body either with your own body weight or with the help of gymnasium equipment like muscle building machines or weights in the form of barbells, dumbbells or resistance equipment like rubber/elastic bands.
Weight training for both sexes can start as early as 16 years depending on the individual goal. As widely believed, it is recommended that a child crosses puberty before he starts, so that the weight training does not interfere with the growth of the muscles, the rate of which slows down after puberty. Also as you grow older you should include some form of weight-bearing activity to your lifestyle to help prevent the onset of bone ailments like arthritis, osteoporosis, etc.
A myth that is quickly changing is the fact that unless that being the goal, women do not grow in muscle size like men do because women have lower levels of the hormone testosterone responsible for muscle bulk.
