When it comes to weight loss in Dubai there are more than enough diet plans to chose from. Some promise you’ll shed the pounds in just a few weeks while others are purely based on nutrition and supplements.

However, new research shows that weight loss can be achieved with weight training. So how does weight loss and weight training for women in Dubai work? We asked a professional female personal trainer in Dubai for he tips.

What Is Weight Loss Training?

Question 1: As a female personal trainer in Dubai who can provide weight training exercise programs how would you sum up/describe what weight training is?

Weight training is just another word for resistance training. Weight training in Dubai is simply applying force to the muscle where you can break it so they can reform stronger, healthier and denser.

This can be done using dumbells, barbells, kettlebells, and even body weight exercises like push ups and pulls ups.

Will I Become Too Muscly?

Question 2: Many women in Dubai think of weight lifting being used as a way to bulk up muscles and become stronger. However, for ladies who want to become stronger and leaner ‘without’ too much muscle mass is weight training the right choice?

Women, unlike men do not produce as much testosterone, and therefore it is very hard for them to build huge muscles as we see sometimes.

When weight training for leanness and toning the information below should be considered:

1. The only way a woman will look bulky when weight training is when she is eating too many calories by overestimating her activity. This causes her to gain muscle and fat at the same time or in some cases gain muscle without losing the excess fat. The extra layer of fat will prevent the muscle shape and size to show.

2. If you eat properly, most women in Dubai will lose fat and gain muscle ( with a good weight training program). This will uncover the muscles which do look tight and tones. Remember muscle weights more than fat and therefore 1 kg of muscle will look half the size of 1 kg of fat ( less fluffiness)

3. For women who want to gain strength for a specific sports, excessive weight training after a very very long time may lead to extra muscle mass.

Those women goals are not to look “skinny” although they will look beautiful and strong. Those women also train 2-3 hours a day and eat much more for muscle growth and strength.

4. Women who weight train and look very bulky and muscular (women body builders) do so by using supplements and illegal steroids such as testosterone.

So ladies, if you want to look more toned and leaner, fix your diet, weight train 3 times a week, do some cardio and trust me the results will be for your liking.

Are Weights As Good As Cardio For Weight Loss?

Question 3: A recent study into weight lifting for women indicated that weight and strength training is as good as (in some cases better than) cardio and aerobic exercise for losing weight and burning fat. What are you thoughts’ on this?

Both types of exercises, cardiovascular and weight training are important for reaching weight loss and fitness goals. Here are a few things to consider:

Food & Diet

Food and a good diet with caloric deficit is the key to weight loss. Studies have shown that exercising without watching the diet will not allow you to reach weightless goals.

Weight Loss & Fat Loss

Weight loss and fat loss are not the same. While you can lose weight with diet only, you may be losing both muscle and fat and water. To gain benefits of weight loss you need to loss fat and gain muscle.

Resting Metabolism

When you gain muscle, your resting metabolism ( you metabolism when not doing any activity) improves. You burn more during rest.

Cardio Workouts

Cardio activities in Dubai are great for the heart and to improve your blood sugar. They also burn calories on the spot.

However be ware of overestimating the caloric burn (1 hour of moderate intensity running is only burning 400 kcal on average, that’s like eating a donuts only).

Cardio does not build muscle and may sometimes even burn it out if done excessively. When you do too much cardio your body eventually adapts and starts burning less.

Building Muscle

Weight training makes you build muscle. It regenerates the muscle stronger and healthier. It also helps with ladies bone strength. Weight training does not burn as much calories while doing it but it keeps you burning calories and energy for 48 hours after so it can repair the damage done to the muscles.

As you get stronger and increase weights you keep burning more energy and therefore using fat stores. This will make you lose weight and also improve your metabolism on long run.

Improve Posture

Weight training also helps improve posture and gives you a confident and strong look.

Long Term Benefits

In conclusion, weight training is better at achieving long term results and better body composition (fat loss rather than muscle loss).

Both are important in addition to diet to get optimal results, feel healthy and look better!

Free Weight Training Types

Question 4: Can you give an example of a few weight training workout routines that are suitable for women in the UAE and also describe how and why these workouts are beneficial?

CrossFit – Why? Its fun, it includes a combination of cardio, strength and gymnastics. Its functional training and teaches you new skills and test your capabilities. You will never get bored and you can also build on relstationships as it is a highly social sport.

Calisthenics – Why? Body weight training that puts your body to the limit. Its fun, and challenging and requires no equipment but a pull up bar.

Simple Body Building – Why? Because it never fails. You can do it with anything from dumbbells to barbells. You can target all body parts and do it at your leisure in your building gym, your home in Dubai or at a regular gym.

Top 5 Tips

Question 5: In summary, for any ladies in Dubai who are considering weight training either at the gym or at home what would your top 5 tips be?

1. Don’t be scared of weights! They are your friends. They will not make you bulky but instead tone and lean.

2. Look for fat loss and not weight loss on the scale. Check with a body composition machine or even use a tight piece of cloth as a reference. The scale means nothing, but remember “ patience is bliss” nothing comes in one day!

3. Take care of your diet. Without a good food lifestyle you cannot achieve your healthy goals in addition to aesthetic goals. Eat healthy, wholefoods and stay away from fad diets.

4. Stay away from social media influences that promote body building supplements and fat burning products. They are dangerous and will not give the result you want. They will just drain your budget!

5. Do what you love and what feels good to you! Don’t listen to people because everyone is different and everyone has a different opinion. Find what you enjoy because this will lead to consistency and good results.