Resistance training workouts are incredibly effective because they contribute to an increase in muscle mass which thereby raises your metabolism and increases your ability to burn fat.

These days, the buzzword “resistance training” has become pretty big news in the fitness industry-and for good reason. Although defined broadly, resistance training refers to the practice of making your workout more challenging and intense by altering the tools and/or type of workout that you do. 

Here are four great ways that you can add resistance to your workout:

1. Use Weight Plates

Although once associated with Olympic-style lifting, weight plates are becoming more and more common as they pop up in gyms everywhere. Typically, the plates come with cut-out handles that make it easier for users to grip the objects and lift them over their heads in a manner that offers a great arm workout. The most prevalent sizes for the plates are five, 10, 25, 35, and 45 pounds. In many cases, the 10 pound weight plates are the best place for beginners to get started.

2. Use a Jump Rope with Weighted Handles

This is a very fun and challenging way for you to get in the practice of resistance training. Because many people played with jump ropes as a child, this form of resistance is oftentimes less intimidating than the idea of lifting heavy weights. These days, many jump ropes come with weighted handles that will give your arms a really intense workout even as you get in some great cardiovascular activity with your jumping.

3. Do Yoga

If you’re serious about adding resistance to your workout, think about the great value of yoga. Yoga is a form of resistance training referred to as “body weight training” because it requires that you literally bear the weight of your own body as you do complex poses and stretches. The additional challenge of yoga is that it requires you to use and continually improve upon your balance. Yoga also offers a plethora of other health benefits, such as alleviating stress and reducing the experience of high blood pressure.

4. Cross Train

When we do the same workouts over and over again, they’re no longer challenging and we become mentally and physically bored. To ensure that your workouts always involve some type of resistance that really requires you to work, make sure that you’re cross training by incorporating new movements into your routine all the time. This means that individuals accustomed to running all the time should cross it up with exercises that put strain on other regions of their bodies such as deadlifts that involve lifting barbells.

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If you’re serious about getting in the best shape of your life, note that adding resistance to your workout is a great way to do it. By utilizing some or all of the strategies outlined above, you will likely find that you are able to get the look that you want and live a much healthier, happier life. Don’t forget to include healthy snacking post-workout!

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