Images of bulked-up women may deter the average woman from lifting weights. Even women who embrace a fitness-oriented lifestyle may prefer cardiovascular training over weight training for fear of huge gains in muscle. But weightlifting offers numerous benefits for women and doesn't necessarily involve large gains in muscle size. When combined with proper nutrition and cardio training, weightlifting promotes weight loss and weight maintenance.
Significance
Your muscles are made up of muscle fibers that work by contracting to facilitate joint movements of your bones. Muscles provide a cushion for your bones. Muscle contractions also generate heat in your body, preparing your body for the increased demands of everyday activities as well as exercise or sport activities. Your body's shape is largely determined by the amount of body fat and muscle you have.
Benefits
Weight training increases the strength of your muscles and of the connective tissues surrounding your body, resulting in increased joint stability. Stronger muscle and connective tissues can improve posture and skeletal alignment, which diminishes discomfort and injury risks. Weight training improves functional fitness, or the ability to carry out everyday tasks such as climbing steps or carrying groceries or children without fatigue or injury. Increases in muscle result in increases in metabolism--your body's ability to burn calories. Increased muscle in women appears as lean body mass, which improves overall muscle tone. Proper dieting and cardio training reduces the amount of body fat. By increasing muscle tone and decreasing body fat, you'll achieve a longer, leaner look instead of a bulky, muscular look.
Types
Weightlifting can be done in a group setting or individually. Beginners should seek proper instruction through a personal trainer or in a group class. Weight training workouts use a variety of equipment. Examples are free weights, selectorized equipment or machines, resistance bands and kickboxing equipment. Even calisthenics using your own body as resistance is considered a form of weight training.
Time Frame
A weightlifting routine should include one or two exercises for each major muscle group. These groups include your chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, thighs, buttocks and abdomen. You can break up the workouts and perform them over several days, but don't weight-train the same muscle group two days in a row. You should see improvements in strength and muscle tone within three months.
Warning
You can't lose weight with weightlifting alone. To reduce body fat and body weight, you must include cardio training and proper nutrition. Muscle and fat are made up of different substances; one cannot be changed into the other.
References
- "Personal Training Manual"; American Council on Exercise; 1991
- Why Aren't More Women Lifting Weights?
- Women Who Fear Pumping Iron
Member Comments