Women of Tamalpais CrossFit in San Rafael, It's Time To Lift More!!

Here are two mini articles from the New York Times… Weight lifting is fun and apparently, the heavier the better!!

Lifting Heaver Weights to Slim Down Most people think the best way to tone up and slim down is to lift lighter weights more often. But in today’s “Really?” column, Anahad O’Connor debunks that notion, suggesting you’ll get better results with heavier weights. He writes:

A regimen that includes a combination of challenging weights and fewer repetitions can help significantly. In a 2002 study, for example, scientists looked at what happened when women performed various resistance exercises at different weights and repetitions (85 percent of their maximum ability for 8 reps, versus 45 percent for 15). Subjects lifting more weight fewer times burned more energy and had a greater metabolic boost after exercise.

A Better Brain After Weight Lifting
New research shows that older women who lift weights build more than muscle. Weight lifting also appears to lead to better brain health. In today’s Science Times, Roni Rabin writes:

Older women who did an hour or two of strength training exercises each week had improved cognitive function a year later, scoring higher on tests of the brain processes responsible for planning and executing tasks, a new study has found. The improvements … included an enhanced ability to make decisions, resolve conflicts and focus on subjects without being distracted by competing stimuli.

by Tara Parker-Pope