Talwalkars - Women and weight training

Women and Weight TrainingWeight training has been proven to benefit all populations from adolescent athletes to seniorcitizens. Women in particular see tremendous benefits from weight training.Now you are probably scratching your head a little because- wait a minute – Women don’t liftweights!!!The myths about women and weight training do not ever seem to go away. Please make a note oftrue facts regarding women and weight training.Myth 1: WEIGHT TRAINING WILL MAKE ME LOOK BULKY AND MASCULINE.Due to the fact that women do not and cannot naturally produce testosterone (male hormoneresponsible for increasing muscle size), it is impossible for a woman to gain enormous amount ofmuscle size by lifting weights. And the ones who appear to be heavy body builders unfortunately useanabolic steroids (synthetic testosterone) to gain muscle size. In fact women who weight trainregularly supported by good nutrition and rest have a cellulite free and a fit looking body.MYTH 2: IF YOU STOP WEIGHT TRAINING MUSCLES TURN INTO FAT.It’s like saying gold turning into brass. Muscles and fat are metabolically different tissues. In mostcases when people go off a weight training program they start losing muscle (due to inactivity).Tomake matters worse they usually drop the diet as well. Poor nutrition combined with a loweredmetabolism due to inactivity and lowered degree of muscle tissue, gives the impression that aperson’s muscle is being converted into fat. The harsh reality however is that muscle is being lostand fat is being accumulated.MYTH 3: WEIGHT TRAINING TURNS FAT INTO MUSCLE.More alchemy. This is the equivalent of saying that you can turn any metal into gold; dont we wish!The way a body transformation occurs is by gaining muscle and losing fat through the correctchannel of exercise and nutrition. Again, muscle and fat are very different types of tissue. We cannotturn one into the other. Women further benefit from strength training because of the increase inresting metabolism created by strength training. Because of this increase, women who are trying toreduce body fat will do so more easily. When done sufficiently and consistently, strength trainingincreases muscle fiber size. Once muscle fibers enlarge, they consume more energy - which boostsour metabolisms.MYTH 4: WOMEN ONLY NEED TO DO CARDIO AND IF WEIGHT TRAIN MUST DO ONLY WITH LIGHTWEIGHTS.First of all, if you only did cardio then muscle and fat would be burnt for fuel. One needs to doweights in order to get the muscle building machine going and thus prevent any loss of muscletissue. Women who only concentrate on cardio will have a very hard time achieving the look thatthey want in fact even hit a plateau.As far as the lifting of very lightweights, this is just more nonsense. Muscle responds to resistanceand if the resistance is too light, then there will be no reason for the body to change.

In order to avoid this gain in muscle mass, women are told to lift very lightweights. Thisrecommendation is oftentimes interpreted to the extreme, and women perform many repetitionswith 3 or 5 pound weights. Unfortunately, without sufficient load (weight), the muscle will notchange, and the goal of "tone" and "shape" cannot be achieved. A change in the shape or tone of amuscle is created in the same way that size is created, with hard work and consistencyIn order to shape or tone your muscle, you must lift a weight that is heavy enough to create musclefatigue (also known as failure). Working your muscles to fatigue means that your muscles refuse tolift/move the weight in a correct and safe fashion.Strength training need not be complex or overly time consuming. All major muscle groups need tobe worked to avoid muscular and postural imbalances.In addition to all of this strength training creates strong ligaments and tendons, which serve tosupport our joints and decrease the likelihood of injury from other activities. Bone density increasesdramatically, reducing our risk of osteoporosis.Strength training enhances quality of life, as it enables us to better perform daily activities thatrequire lifting, pushing and pulling.The physical and spiritual benefits of strength training are myriad, and when realized, the goal nolonger becomes a "hardbody", but the confidence and control that strength training teaches us.

Talwalkars - Women and weight training

by Talwalkars Better Value Fitness Ltd. on Apr 26, 2012

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