When Can I See A Change From Lifting Weights?

If you are over 30 and feeling tired, weak and fat, a centuries-old workout promises you measurable benefits immediately and for a lifetime: weight training. It burns calories, builds muscle tissue and increases metabolism, resulting in a lean, strong and vibrant body. Programs vary in intensity, duration and frequency; they are specific to such goals as improving sports performance, burning fat or relieving depression.

Immediate Benefits

The mental aspect is perhaps the most overlooked benefit of weight training. On day one, expect increased tranquility and energy, less stress and a more cheerful attitude. More important, you will experience a dramatic rise in self-confidence and a feeling of accomplishment. That boost will propel you to the next week.

Build Confidence

The first month builds confidence. During the first month, work out twice weekly for 30 minutes and choose light to medium weights. At eight different weight-lifting stations, lift the weight 12 times. The final lift should be challenging. Focus on your accomplishments this month. Active reflection on your achievements continues to build mental strength.

Get Stronger

By week eight, you'll notice changes in your body, especially around your waist. Work out two to three days a week on nonconsecutive days and lift 12 times in three groups, called sets. Full-body workouts that include eight stations using multiple sets accelerate your progress. Between weeks eight and 12, you'll feel stronger. It is common for beginners to increase strength by up to 40 percent, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Your body is now a fat-burning machine. Strength-training researcher Wayne Westcott found that men and women who trained three days a week for 10 weeks lost 4.4 lbs. of fat compared with 1.1 lost by those who trained only one day a week.

Lifetime Benefits

Regular weight training increases muscle mass, metabolic rate and bone density. It also reduces blood pressure, arthritic pain and low back pain. Additionally, it relieves depression and improves blood lipid levels, glucose metabolism, sleep quality, digestive transit time, heart strength and lung function.
And as you age, weight training becomes more important. A major concern for seniors is sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle tissue. Muscle strength declines 15 percent between ages 60 and 70, and muscle mass also declines. This decline is often attributed to the aging process, but fitness researchers Avery Faigenbaum and Jay Hoffman say "declines in muscle structure and function are not an inevitable consequence of aging, but rather a result of a sedentary lifestyle." Active seniors can add muscle tissue, which leads to improved balance, reduced risk of falling, increased metabolism and lower body fat.
Westcott says the loss of muscle may be the largest contributor to decline in resting metabolic rate, which is the amount of energy needed to sustain vital body organs and tissue for 24 hours. That rate can drop from 2 to 3 percent a decade in adults, he adds.