According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) A new study confirms what many discovered long ago – strength training plays an important role in ridding the body of extra weight. My own experiences certainly support this research as well. I lost more weight once I added strength training into my regular routine.

I’m going to start featuring some guest posts. Here is a great one from my pal at SkinnySushi.com. She has a refreshing take on a challenging workout from Jillian Michaels. Read on to find out more…

Weight training not only helps you keep your muscles and bones strong as you age, but it can also help you to literally change the neuronal patterns in your brain-altering your brain to increase confidence and self-esteem. You just need 2 40 minute sessions a week! Be sure the weights are heavy enough to fatigue your muscles near the end of your repetitions. Make sure to use 5 lbs or more for most exercises.

Are you being honest with yourself about your body? I admit that I have not been honest lately. I had an injury and really fell off the workout wagon. A friend of mine suggested that it’s a good idea to look at myself naked for a minute or two each day. YIKES? REALLY? But, she has a point.

Think about it. Do you take the time to look at yourself naked in the mirror? Do you know what your body truly looks like? Are there changes that you’d like to make? Try making a habit of spending at least 2 minutes each day looking at yourself naked in the mirror to truly monitor changes that might be taking place. Getting to know how your body looks naked is critical in how you treat it in the future.

Lean muscle mass naturally decreases with age. If you don’t do anything to replace the muscle loss, it’ll be replaced with fat. But weight training can help you reverse the trend — at any age. As your muscle mass increases, you’ll be able to work harder and longer before you get tired. You’ll maintain joint flexibility, increase bone density and better manage your weight. Get started today!

Moms have it hard enough without having to worry about losing that pregnancy body. Research indicates short burst high intensity resistance training is ideal for fat loss and proven to improve cardio vascular fitness.

t never surprises me how many women want to lose the excess fat, tone up and look amazing, however they don’t like to sweat! I’m laughing as I write this; as I know the women that have said this to me are likely to be reading this article.

Check out this great video highlighting my fitness progress so far.