Like most women, I believed the myth that if I used weight training in my workout routines, I would “bulk up” and not look feminine and attractive. I would do strengthening exercises for my abdominals and back, but avoided weight training on a regular basis. Instead I focused on cardiovascular exercise – running, walking, biking, and rollerblading.

This is common among most women.

However, this year I decided to put myself to the test. After exercising regularly 3-4 times per week I have seen dramatic results. You can see my results at http://www.onlinefitnesscoach.com/shelley-hitz.html. Not only did I lose 16 inches overall and 6% body fat, I also have more energy for my daily tasks!

What made the difference? Weight training. As you age, you tend to lose muscle due to inactivity. You get busy with work and your families and move a little less each day. What happens is you begin to lose muscle mass each year, which is what fuels your metabolism.

Your metabolism is simply the amount of calories your body burns each day. So, when your body loses muscle, your metabolism decreases and you burn less calories each day. Therefore, you can eat the same amount of food and still gain weight with each passing year.

The good news is that you can change your metabolism! That’s what I did. Once I added weight training to my workouts on a regular basis, I saw dramatic results.

How can you also see the same kind of results?

1. Exercise 3-5 times per week with a combination of strength training and

Research has shown that you will burn more fat when you do your strength training before aerobic training.

2. Take your before and after measurements

One of the best ways to stay focused and motivated when exercising is to set up a system of tracking your results. How can you tell if you're making progress besides stepping on the scale everyday? Here are some ideas to help you get started on how to better track your progress with exercise:

**Using a flexible measuring tape, measure the largest point at your hips and smallest point at your waist. You can also track the size changes in your arms, thighs, calves, etc.

**Using body fat calipers, track your body fat measurements.

**Walk test - Distance & Recovery Heart Rate (walk one mile, record the time it took you to walk one mile and take your pulse for one minute after finishing walking)

**Sit ups (count number of sit ups in one minute - make sure your shoulder blades come off the floor)

**Push ups (count number of push ups in one minute - choose either standard push ups or modified push ups on your knees)

3. Find an accountability partner and check in with them at least once/week.

To reach your fitness goals, sign up for online fitness coaching at .

Written by Shelley Hitz, a Licensed Physical Therapist and NASM Certified Personal Trainer whose goal is to help as many people reach their fitness goals as possible. One way she does this is through online fitness coaching at http://www.onlinefitnesscoach.com. View her sample workout at http://www.onlinefitnesscoach.com/workout-routines.html

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