Full-body workout sculpts a new you: Aerobics, weights quickly create sleek, slim results

By PAMELA GREENE, Fort Jackson FMWRSeptember 2, 2010

Full-body workout sculpts a new you: Aerobics, weights quickly create sleek, slim results
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT JACKSON, S.C. -- The best reason I could ever come up with for having someone add weights to his or her current workout reminds me of my first encounter with lifting. I had been teaching for quite some time, but was not seeing the results I wanted to see. One of the participants in my class suggested that I add weight lifting. I was so pleased with how quickly my body responded to the weight training.

However, I wasn't pleased with how bulky it made me. I knew weight training alone would not bring all the results I was looking for because I knew the value of cardiovascular training, as well. Initially, I was doing weight lifting and aerobics separately; then I decided to incorporate weights while doing cardiovascular training during the entire class. After just a few classes, we all benefited from body definition and amazing inches off the entire body. This discovery had a name - sculpting.

According to the Journal of Applied Physiology, fat cells need oxygen to burn completely, so in order to burn more fat during an exercise, one needs to move slowly and smoothly. This allows muscle cells to be supplied with enough oxygen to continue with its aerobics capacity and use fat as the main energy source. So if someone performs a squat at a pace that is slow and steady, his or her oxygen usage can endure the exercise.

How does this relate to weight loss' The demand being placed on the muscle for energy uses body fat as a fuel source over glycogen (carbohydrates turned into sugar). Anaerobic exercising requires moving at an increased pace or with greater effort than just weight training alone. Aerobics combined with weights results in a greater demand for oxygen.

Aerobic sculpting is designed to shape and tone the body without building muscular size or bulk. Aerobic sculpting is highly recommended because it helps retain lean muscle tissue while boosting metabolism. Aerobic sculpting (for safety reasons) moves more slowly than traditional aerobics because the exerciser is holding weights.

This means the impact on the body is intense, but the impact toward the joints is not. Aerobic sculpting improves blood circulation to fatty areas of the body (which is often sluggish). Consequently, fat is more difficult to metabolize (no surprise here), so aerobic sculpting-style exercises really bring blood flow to those areas of the body, helping burn body fat at a more efficient rate, according to the Journal on Exercise.

The ultimate goal of aerobic sculpting is to produce firm, strong active muscle tissue. This way calories are burned more efficiently than body fat or untoned muscle, even during rest. It is proven that exercisers will get a better looking body from aerobic sculpting, especially when performed at least four times a week.

Since most exercisers are not training as a body builders, it's OK to work out the entire body, not just upper on Monday followed by lower on Tuesday, etc. My motto has always been about time. Most of us only have an hour to give to exercise, so make the most of it by focusing on the entire body, not just a body part.

If you have doubts about weight training, give aerobic sculpting a try. It is a great total body workout. If you have already been working out and need a push for your sluggish metabolism, aerobic sculpting is for you. From the beginner to the more experienced, this style of exercise benefits the heart, assists in lowering blood pressure, balances blood sugar levels and so much more. There are inches to lose and firmness to gain; your body is waiting.