I was driving home the other night and the John Tesh Radio Show came on. I really like listening to his tidbits of information because he always something interesting. This tidbit had to do with why weight lifting is good for you. I was impressed and also noticed that the positive effects were happening in my life because I go to Body Pump twice a week. Here are the reasons why you should lift weights, as part of your workout regime:

• You’ll lose 40% more fat. In a study at Penn State, dieters were divided into three groups: No exercise, aerobics only, and aerobics and weight training. The result: Weight lifters lost one-third more weight than those who didn’t pump iron. Most of it was pure fat – while the others lost fat and muscle, and are more likely to gain the weight back.
• Your clothes will fit better. Between age 30 and 50, most people lose 10 percent of their total muscle – which is often replaced by fat. Even if you weigh the same, you’ll be bigger. That’s because one pound of fat takes up 18% more space than one pound of muscle.
• You’ll also be able to handle stress a lot better. Studies show that people who train with weights have lower levels of stress hormones under pressure than those who don’t. The blood pressure of those with the most muscle returns to normal faster.
• Your heart will be healthier. Studies show that after two months of weight training, volunteers lowered their blood pressure by eight points, enough to cut their risk of heart attack by 15%, and their risk of stroke almost in half.
• Weight training will make you a lot more productive. Studies show that workers are 15% more productive on days they exercise than on days they don’t, which means you could theoretically finish more than nine hours of work in just under eight hours.