Weight training isn’t just for those body builders who let out obnoxious sounds at the gym every time they pump weights. A weight training workout can help you lose fat, build muscle, strengthen your bones and lots more. Sadly, women rarely pay much attention to weight training. But it’s about time.
Ramakrishna Yellapragada, a Chennai-based fitness expert says, “Many women worry that weight training will somehow make them huge and muscular, so they spend hours doing cardio. The truth is, women just don’t have the hormones to gain muscle mass like men. The hormone testosterone is responsible for large increases in muscle mass. A woman’s testosterone levels are a fraction of a man’s. That means you can bench press or do your dumbbell curls without worrying about bulking up.”
Ramakrishna Yellapragada suggests weight training exercises for women to tone up their body.
Shoulder Press
Stand with feet placed apart at shoulder width with 1.5 kg dumbbells in each hand (or a weight you are comfortable with).
Bend your elbows so that your arms are at ear level.
Keep your back straight, slightly pull in your abdomen and raise your arms so that the ends of the dumbbells touch slightly.
Bring them back to original position.
Dumbbell One Arm Row (for a stronger back)
Rest your left palm and left knee on a chair and hold the dumbbell in your right hand.
Pull your abdomen in and lean forward so that your back is arched.
Swing your arm upward so that your elbow is pointing to the ceiling and your arm is parallel to the floor.
Lower it back to neutral position.
Repeat with the left arm.
Nupur Shikhare, Mumbai-based fitness expert suggests squats and lunges using dumbbells for toned glutes (bum) and legs.
Squats
Stand with feet apart at little more than shoulder width.
Keep your back straight and sit down as though sitting on a chair.
Now, push your hip back and go down as much as you can.
Your back should be straight and your knees shouldn’t cross the toe line whole doing this.
Return to neutral position.
Lunges
Stand straight with your feet at a shoulder width distance.
Take a step forward and with the back foot being on toes and the front foot flat, go down.
Your knees should face straight and shouldn’t cross the toe line. Keep your back straight at all times.
Mumbai-based holistic health guru Mickey Mehta suggests biceps curl and triceps extension.
Biceps curl
Stand up and hold one dumbbell with each hand down the side of your body, palms facing each other.
Raise both dumbbells until they reach your shoulder height, with the dumbbels facing your shoulder and slowly lower them back down after a short pause.
Try not to jerk your upper body in an effort to help you lift the weights.
Triceps extension
Hold a dumbbell or a full 1 litre water bottle with both hands and raise it overhead.
Keep the elbows by the ears.
Slowly bend and straighten the arms.
“Do an average of 12 to 20 repetitions of these exercises for two or three sets. Do these exercises for three to five days a week,” says Yellapragada.
“Combine these with brisk walks for about 30 to 45 minutes, 30 minutes of yoga asanas like bhujangasan, dhanurasan, pawanmukthasan, and 10 repetitions of suryanamaskar two to three times a week for better flexibility, concentration, core strength, agility and weight loss,” suggests Mehta.
Other diet and lifestyle tips from Mickey Mehta:
1. Eat with awareness. Incorporate three to four portions of veggies and fruits per day. Ensure that your daily diet consists of whole grains, millets, pulses, veggies and fruits with lots of raw foods like salads, sprouts etc.
2. Avoid using excess oil in cooking or deep frying foods often. Instead use nuts, seeds, cold pressed oils etc. as these have many health benefits and can help enhance immunity.
3. Avoid red meat and organ meats often as they are high in saturated fats. Opt for lean, white meats or fish if you are a non vegetarian.
4. Hydrate adequately with a minimum of 8 to 10 glasses a day.
5. Begin your day with warm water, green tea and fruits. Fruits are ideal for the digestive system. Minimise salt intake and avoid all processed and preserved foods.
6. Replace high fat dressings for salads with low fat olive oil or lemon drizzles and use almonds, flax seed, peanuts or til powders, garlic, pepper, hummus or low fat yogurt to enhance the taste. These are more delicious and healthy than high fat dressings.
7. Reduce or avoid foods made from wheat flour, maida or refined flours, sugar like breads etc. Opt for millet rotis, like jowar, bajra, ragi etc. They are rich sources of nutrients and fibre and are devoid of the health-damaging gluten.
8. Make sure you get adequate rest and sleep as both are essential for good health, mental and emotional functioning.
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