Some women are fearful that they will develop bulky muscles if they begin a weight-lifting program. Because of this, strength training has been dominated by men in the past. But more women are getting involved with this exercise as they realize they are more likely to tone their muscles and burn calories than build bulky, manly muscles. This is because women have 10 to 30 times less hormones that cause bulking up, according to William J. Kraemer, a strength training researcher. Starting a program is easy and you should see a 20 to 40 percent increase in strength after a few months of training.
Step 1
Decide what your goals are. According to ACE fitness, lifting small amounts of weight, many times will tone muscle, while lifting heavier weights a few times will build bulkier muscles and increase the amount you can lift.
Step 2
Make a plan. An ideal workout plan includes eight to 10 exercises that target the major muscle groups, according to Fitness magazine. Start by doing two sets with eight repetitions of each exercise. You can use free weights, your own body weight, resistance tubes or weight machines. Make sure to work your chest, back, biceps, triceps, shoulders, legs, butt and abs.
Step 3
Stick to your plan. Wayne Westcott, a weight training expert and researcher, recommends lifting two to three times a week. According to Westcott, you should gain 1.75 lbs. of muscle and lose 3.5 lbs. of fat within eight weeks if you follow your program.
Step 4
Continue to add to your routine. If you notice your resistance training is getting easier make it more challenging by lifting more weight or doing more repetitions.
Member Comments