Strength Training

Strength training conditions and improves muscle tone and endurance. The benefits of strength training can include a range of more power and energy, better and long-term weight loss (muscle burns more calories than fat due to a faster metabolism), stronger bones and better sleep. Although, you might not lose much weight while strength training, your body fat will definitely decrease and turn into muscle. The number on the scale means less than how you feel in your clothes. 

Here are some good strength training exercises to become stronger and burn fat! Do them in reptitions or sets. I have definitely slimmed down more, though it's not very noticeable and have become a lot stronger since I first started. I could barely even lift a 25 lb bar last year, but now with the help from trainers I can lift between 50-75 lbs depending on the movement. 

Warning: I would not recommend lifting very much or at all without a trained professional. Proper positioning is very important so you do not injure yourself! 

Front Squats: Stand with your feet a little more than hip width apart and bend down into a squat. Keep your elbows up with the bar near your collar bone. It should rest close to your shoulders. 

Thrusters: Go down to the same front-squat position, but stand up and push the bar up. 

Dumbbell snatches: Stand with your feet apart with the dumbbell in front of you. Squat down with a flat back and pull dumbbell up quickly by extending your hips and knees. Jump and pull the dumbbell up toward the ceiling. Repeat with the other arm.

Dumbbell Clusters: Bend legs with weights down by your side and then drop down to a squat with dumbbells by your shoulders. Then push them the weights up just like a thruster.  


Not pictured: Push press, hang cleans, jerks, snatches, kettle bell swings 

Sample Exercises

Example # 1: Repeat as many times as you can in 20 minutes

• 10 dumbbell snatches (5 on each arm) 
• Run 400 m 
• 15 pushups or hand release pushups 

Example # 2: Thrusters and Pull ups 

• 21-18-15-12-9-6-3-2-1 thrusters and pull ups/jumping pull ups 

Example # 3: Repeat 4 times

• 20 front squats 
• 100 jump ropes 
• Row 400 m/ run 400 m

Example # 4: Repeat as many times as you can in 20 minutes 

• 20 dumbbell clusters 
• 40 sit ups 
• Run 400 m