Upper Body Strength Training
If you are losing weight or just trying to get into better shape, you have to watch what you eat and exercise. What most people do not realize, women especially, is that strength training is a must if you want to get into shape and stay there. If you build muscle, you are going to burn more calories, have more endurance, and have a leaner appearance. Women are afraid of weight lifting because they fear bulking up, but without special drugs, that is not going to happen. Upper body strength training can be easy, fun, and is great for your long term health.
While you should worry about the entire body, upper body strength training is something that most people start with and get very good at. Lifting weights with the arms is a huge part of what you want to for upper body strength. Free weights are great for this, but you can also use a machine that offers resistance training, which has the same effects and benefits. You do not want to overdo it when you start, so do three sets of ten using weight that you can lift, but it should be a bit of a struggle to do it. Try this three times a week to start.
Your arms are not the only concern when thinking about upper body strength training. You want to work on your neck as well. This may not seem important, but you can run into times when you have neck fatigue from holding it in one position for too long. This happens to new moms watching their babies feed, or to someone with a new job that may require an odd angle for computer usage, machine use, or something similar. If you work on your neck, you can bear these positions much longer and with much greater comfort. Exercises for arms and shoulders should work your neck. If not, find something that will.
Your upper body also consists of your back and stomach muscles. These are important for looking good and staying lean, but they are also important to keep you up and moving. Many people who have back problems have them because they have poor tone in the torso. The torso muscles are what hold you up and keep your bones and joints in place. Work on exercises and upper body strength training workouts that target your abs, back muscles, and your hips as well. Sit ups and the like are great for these areas, but add some weight resistance as well for more effective and quicker results.
How and where you want to do your upper body strength training is up to you. Remember that you can go to a gym for a full body workout, but you can easily find ways to do these things at home if you wish. There are some great exercise machines on the market that you can easily fit in even the smallest of living spaces, and you can also find great ways to use resistance with other things that you may already have in your home. As long as you are getting something of a work out in three times a week or more, you are working towards a better looking and better feeling you.
