As women approach menopausal age, muscle and bone begins to deteriorate unless specific steps are taken to prevent this. Bodybuilding, or strength training, is an essential method of building both muscle and bone and preventing further bone and muscle deterioration. Strength training may also help prevent certain health conditions, such as diabetes, obesity and depression. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least two days a week of strength-training exercise for best results.
Free Weights
A full-body workout is possible by just using free weights. Free weights include both dumbbells and a barbell. For the upper body, work your arms with biceps curls, hammer curls, triceps kickbacks and triceps extensions by using dumbbells. Perform bench presses and inclined and declined chest presses with a barbell to strengthen your upper, lower and central chest muscles. Barbell deadlifts and bent-over barbell rows strengthen your lower and upper back muscles. Work your lower body with barbell squats and dumbbell lunges. Leg extensions and leg curls are also possible with free weights by holding a dumbbell between your feet. Perform three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions of each exercise.
Resistance Bands
You may choose to implement resistance bands in your strength-training routine along with or in place of many free-weight exercises. Like dumbbells, resistance bands are easily portable and may be used almost anywhere, making home workouts more manageable. Train your triceps with resistance band triceps push-downs or hook the band to a sturdy over-head object to perform lat pull-downs. Work your hamstrings with hamstring curls or strengthen your back with seated resistance band rows. When implementing resistance band exercises, be sure to secure your band to a stable, sturdy object to avoid injury.
Body-Weight Resistance Exercises
Strength training is also possible with no equipment at all. Use your own body weight as resistance to strengthen various muscle groups. Pushups are an efficient method of strengthening the arms, chest and shoulders. This exercise may also be modified while you build up your strength with bent-knee pushups, in which you rest your knees on the floor. Pullups and chinups are beneficial body-weight resistance exercises as well. These exercises build strength in your arms, back and shoulders. Dips strengthen and tone your arms, shoulders and chest.
Strength Training Machines
If you are a beginner to weightlifting and strength training, you may opt to join a fitness facility and utilize a variety of strength-training machines until you learn proper technique in lifting free weights. Strength-training machines are available for all major muscle groups, including your arms, chest, shoulders, back, abdominals, upper legs and lower legs. Most strength-training machines keep your body and secondary muscle groups stabilized while you work to strengthen the targeted muscle group. This helps you train the muscles you want without concentrating on proper implementation and technique. However, as you learn proper technique in weight lifting, slowly introduce free weights into your strength training program to utilize secondary muscles throughout exercise implementation.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Physical Activity for Everyone: How Much Physical Activity Do Adults Need?
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Growing Stronger- Strength Training for Older Adults: Why Strength Training?
- Mayo Clinic; Strength Training: Get Stronger, Leaner, Healthier; June 2010
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