RESISTANCE TRAINING - The benefits of resistance training are well known and proven. Simply put: lifting weights builds strength. The side effects of resistance training are many, such as, more muscle definition, stronger bones and lower body fat percentage. Muscle is the only tissue in the body that can burn calories so another side effect is this: by adding muscle mass you increase body's ability to burn calories instead of storing them as fat. Even at rest a leaner body burns more calories. Lifting weights is a key factor in losing weight and keeping it off. Whether you're training for hypertrophy (larger muscles) or just a sleeker, leaner physique you stand to reap great benefits from a resistance training program.
CORE/TRX - Developed by a Navy Seal for intense training without having access to a full gym, the TRX is a great way to perform muscle building resistance exercises that also train your core. Depending on how you situate your body to the TRX straps you can regulate the difficulty of each exercise from easy to very demanding thus allowing you to taper your workout to match your level of fatigue. A full TRX workout will include all muscle groups, all core muscles and as much of cardio challenge as you can handle.
CORE/BALANCE - Off balance resistance training delivers multi-faceted benefits. I sometimes refer to it as "brain training" because the very first benefit you'll notice is an improved sense of balance. This actually happens within minutes in the following way: the first attempt at trying to perform a one-legged bicep curl (a beginner level balance challenge) you will most likely fail and have to put your foot down to stabilize yourself. The second time you may or may not succeed, the third or fourth time you'll probably notice a marked improvement in your ability. This is because the "new ability" is not really new at all. What has happened is that you "remembered" how to stabilize on one leg. Most adults haven't done that in a long time but the neural passageways are still there and just need proper stimulation to be awakened. As you progress with more and more demanding core/balance exercises you eventually will "remember" all you can and then begin to build new connections between your brain and your core system to gain what I call "core coordination". If your goals and desires are lofty, with enough dedication, you can even learn to walk on a tightrope. Check out Tasi Training™