The only material that is truly valuable and worth being treasured is the human body. The body is the vehicle needed to exist in this world and the home of our minds and spirits. The body is also the only material thing that we can't replace. Without our bodies, we can't be here. If our bodies break beyond repair we have to leave this world!

No matter how successful we are, or how much money we have, when it comes to bodies we all get the same share - "one". Therefore it makes sense to do everything possible to take care of this one and only body, and to do everything possible to keep it in shape.

There are many ways to keep your body in shape, which means there should be a "doable" way for everybody and every body. Nevertheless, in the almost seventeen years that I spent living and learning the art of health and fitness, nothing has come as close to perfection (in combining all the components necessary to be in shape) than another material that holds a lot of "true value".

The material I am talking about is cold, hard, heavy, masculine, inexpensive and very effective. It is called iron and it is called steel. In the form of a free weight or a weight machine it can give you almost everything you need to keep the body not only healthy, but also beautiful. The only component weights can't take care of when it comes to fitness is nutrition. Weights are not a good food source! However they surely take care of everything else.

Weight training is essential to our physical capacity, injury prevention, rehabilitation, metabolic function and physical appearance. In the right setting weight training can be extremely relaxing and very uplifting at the same time.

In order to get the true benefits of weight training you need to exercise with progressively heavier resistance, meaning you need to use weights that are relatively heavy to you. You also need to combine the right exercises, work in the full range of motion and work with perfect form. Then, and only then, will you get all the benefits. So what specifically are these beefits? Well, they include:

Increase in density of both muscle fibers - fast-twitch (strength) and slow-twitch (endurance). It is a fact that people that don't engage in any form of resistance training will lose approximately one pound of muscle tissue a year after the age of twenty-five.

Increase in metabolic rate - because you work both types of muscle fibers and muscle as a whole is the most metabolic active tissue in the body. For example, a weight training routine (done right) will raise your metabolic rate during your workout and keep it raised for 24-48 hours after your workout.

Aerobic training also raises your metabolic rate but will only keep it raised for about 2 hours after your training. This makes weight training a great fat burning tool and holds for a healthy metabolism.

Increase in bone density is possible only through resistance training and even though other forms of training can help to prevent bone loss they can't improve it. This makes weight training the only true effective tool in battling osteoporosis.

Increase in ligament and tendon size, density and strength - to prevent and rehabilitate injuries to the joints and surrounding tissues.

Increase in flexibility - through working the full range of motion. Weight training done right is stretching with resistance.

Increase in cardiovascular fitness - a serious leg workout with weights will work your heart as effectively as a good intense aerobic training.

And finally, it will make you beautiful! Nothing else can get you as firm, toned, shapely and defined as good old pumping iron.

This leaves us with the fact that weight training supplies all the components of fitness and which are the components we need to keep our vehicles going. Again these components are:

Muscle Endurance

Muscle Strength

Cardiovascular Endurance

Flexibility

Body composition

As a Fitness Consultant I have worked and still work with people of all ages, shapes and conditions, including people that battle with conditions such as multiple sclerosis, arthritis, fibromyalgia, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, obesity, unhealthy life-styles, asthma, cancer, the list is endless. Never have I met anybody that was not able to engage in some form of resistance training and I don't believe that there is one person out there that wouldn't or couldn't benefit from it.

To me weight training is an art and our bodies are the sculptures.

Give yourself a gift - and next time you go out shopping for material things, make it iron instead of diamonds!

Have a great Year!