Metabolism

Ok, so check this out!!

"Muscle is the engine for your metabolism. If you gain one pound of muscle, you must consume an extra fifty calories per hour to support it. On a brighter note, for every pound of muscle you build, you can eat an extra fifty calories per hour without gaining fat.
Lifting weights with your PowerBlock increases your bone density therefore decreasing your chances for osteoporosis. You will be stronger to rise from your chair or carry grandchildren. Maintaining muscle speeds up your metabolism and increases the good HDL cholesterol. More muscle helps raise your aerobic capacity and prevent type II diabetes because additional muscle uses more oxygen, and takes up extra sugar." (Seabourne, 2000)

The cool part about this article is that it is talking about the benefits for senior citizens. I don't know about you but if this is something that good ol' Doc Seabourne is preaching to help prevent osteoporosis, type II diabetes, and maintain or increase good HDL cholesterol; just think about the benefits it will have on your young body. Besides all of that (which isn't my main point) strength training builds muscle which in turn increases metabolism.

When someone comes to me that is a male/female, 300+ pounds that wants to lose weight; guess what I'm going to tell them...... Strength training. If someone that wants to get better at...... golf.... guess what, strength training. If a early 20's something women want to get in better shape and look better..... strength training.

I'm not saying that all someone has to do is strength train (build muscle) to achieve their goals. I'm just saying that it should be the base for any good program. After it is achieved then go run around like a crazy person and condition your ass off until you have become satisfied.

What most people do is condition their ass off, eat small amounts (1 maybe 2 times a day) and emaciate themselves until they have reached the body type they want. Guess what..... that screws up your metabolism system (along with other things) so bad that when the person decides that they do want to eat food and not spend 2+ hours on the treadmil they will blow up into a big ballon. I'll give you one guess why....... NO MUSCLE MASS (along with other things, i.e. crap diet, lack of strength training). People can mask a "healthy" body, but when their motivation runs out for eating nothing and over conditioning it will show through.

Conclusion:

If you want to lose fat and find a new found metabolism then you need to strength train. (Lady's.... you wont turn into bulky meat heads.... just very well defined, curvy, appealing women with confidence and the strength to kick most emaciated, over conditioned, under fed men's asses.)

Reference:

Seabourne, T. (2000, March). Lead story: your muscle is the engine for your metabolism.. Retrieved from ://www.betterbodz.com/Tom/metabolism_gaining_muscle.html

This looked like a lot of fun. Unofficial meets take the seriousness out of it but lends the experience to someone that is entering a competitive environment. I like it!