What should be included in my strength training?

[TaraNorth]

I want to focus on strength training but I want to do it right and I want to get the most benefit from it. Which exercises should I be including in my fitness program?

[brightstar]

If you're starting from scratch like this, it's really worth your while to talk to a personal trainer. Even if you pay for only one session, you'll thank yourself for getting the help and not trying to just go it alone. You'll get more results and will be a lot less likely to hurt yourself.

[Whirlybird]

There are a lot of exercise routines outlined online. Look for something that targets every major muscle group then designated days for each muscle group so that you don't overwork them. So Monday could be leg day, wednesday could be abs, and so on.

[TaraNorth]

There are a lot of exercise routines outlined online. Look for something that targets every major muscle group then designated days for each muscle group so that you don't overwork them. So Monday could be leg day, wednesday could be abs, and so on.

Oh really? That's interesting. I didn't know that you were supposed to only target certain parts of your body on different days. I kinda thought you just repeated the same exercises but didn't do them every day to give your body a break. What you said makes a lot more sense!

[MeSarah]

There are a lot of exercise routines outlined online. Look for something that targets every major muscle group then designated days for each muscle group so that you don't overwork them. So Monday could be leg day, wednesday could be abs, and so on.

I agree. You need to work different parts and make sure you are giving these areas of your body adequate rest days so your muscles have time to heal and become stronger. If you don't let them heal you're not going to really get anywhere and you'll likely only end up causing more harm than good to your body.

[Bethie]

Is that only the case with strength training? I'm confused? Does this mean that if I go for a walk 5 or 6 days per week that I'm not really giving my whole body a workout? I thought htat was one of the best ways to get healthy and burn fat. Am I supposed to rest after daily walks somehow?

[Speeddemon]

Is that only the case with strength training? I'm confused? Does this mean that if I go for a walk 5 or 6 days per week that I'm not really giving my whole body a workout? I thought htat was one of the best ways to get healthy and burn fat. Am I supposed to rest after daily walks somehow?

No. Walking is different. You don't really need to rest from walking unless you power walk for several hours every day...in which case, you'd really be overdoing it haha. Walking is really good for your health and weight loss. It does give your body a good workout and will help you burn fat all over, but it's not going to tone certain parts of your body in the way that strength training will. For instance, if you want to increase the strength in your arms by building a little muscle or get a flatter toned tummy, walking isn't going to make this happen. It'll help you melt the fat away from these areas, but walking isn't going to build muscles in your arms or your stomach in any real way that you'd be proud to show off. It'll do wonders for your legs and butt (depending on how you walk and how fast) but that's about all. You need to take rests of strength training because you're performing an intense and repetitive activity using specific muscles. After performing this activity, your muscles are actually damaged a little from being overused and need time to heal and strengthen, that's how you make them stronger.

[brightstar]

No. Walking is different. You don't really need to rest from walking unless you power walk for several hours every day...in which case, you'd really be overdoing it haha. Walking is really good for your health and weight loss. It does give your body a good workout and will help you burn fat all over, but it's not going to tone certain parts of your body in the way that strength training will. For instance, if you want to increase the strength in your arms by building a little muscle or get a flatter toned tummy, walking isn't going to make this happen. It'll help you melt the fat away from these areas, but walking isn't going to build muscles in your arms or your stomach in any real way that you'd be proud to show off. It'll do wonders for your legs and butt (depending on how you walk and how fast) but that's about all. You need to take rests of strength training because you're performing an intense and repetitive activity using specific muscles. After performing this activity, your muscles are actually damaged a little from being overused and need time to heal and strengthen, that's how you make them stronger.

Thanks for explaining that. I find that the descriptions of what we should and shouldn't do aren't always clear. A lot of times, people are referring to intense workouts but they make it sound like any activity at all. I've always wondered how that actually worked.