By Ben Lucas -
Here’s why and how you should be working out with weights.
Should you be doing weight training?
Yes! All of you – that means women as well as men. If you are training for an event like a fun run or triathlon, have a weight loss goal, or just want to look and feel better, you should be in the gym.
Why?
Weight training (also called resistance training) has several positive effects on the body and mind. According to the exercise science department at Quincy College in the US, inactive adults lose 7-9 per cent of muscle mass per decade after they turn 30. Their resting metabolic rate will decrease, meaning they burn fewer calories at rest, and are likely to accumulate fat faster than adults with higher muscle mass.
As we get older, the outlook does not get any better. A study published in the Muscles, Ligaments and Tendons Journal in 2014 found people aged over 40 lost an average five centimetres in muscle diameter around their quadriceps (large leg muscles) and up to 40 per cent of their leg strength.
