Weight Lifting for Women

Weight lifting for women has been steadily increasing in popularity, but too many women still mistakenly avoid lifting weights.

The benefits of weight lifting (also known as weight training or strength training) are impressive. Weight lifting builds lean muscle mass, decreases body fat, keeps you strong and functionally fit, strengthens bones, strengthens the immune system, and helps prevent ailments such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, low back pain, arthritis, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer.

Weight lifting is also the most effective way to reshape your body and improve your physical appearance. Weight lifting will give you a strong, firm, toned body, which is the type of body so many women want.

With all of the benefits of weight lifting, why aren't more women lifting weights? The primary reason why is because many women think that they'll develop big, bulky muscles if they lift weights. But this is not true.

Women don't have enough of the hormone testosterone (a key hormone for building muscle) to develop big, bulky muscles. But what about those female bodybuilders you see in bodybuilding magazines? Those female bodybuilders don't develop their extreme muscularity just by lifting weights, they use steroids to unnaturally alter their testosterone levels. So ladies, there's no need to worry that you're going to develop big, bulky muscles if you lift weights.

The bottom line when it comes to weight lifting is that it's just as important as aerobic exercise and diet when it comes to getting and staying fit and healthy. Weight lifting should be a part of every woman's fitness program.

The strength training guidelines page will provide you with plenty of information on how to safely and effectively incorporate weight lifting into your fitness program, but here are three tips that will help you avoid some of the most common mistakes that many women weight lifters make.

Use heavier weights. There's a misconception that weight lifting for women is all about performing sets of high repetitions using light weight in order to "tone up" the muscles. The reality is that in order to get a more toned look, you have to increase lean muscle mass. The rep range that builds the most lean muscle mass is 6-12 reps per set, so the weight you use each set has to be heavy enough so that you can't perform more than 12 reps in good form.

Use free weights. Many women avoid using free weights (barbells and dumbbells) because weight machines are easier to learn and use, but some of the most effective exercises you can do are free weight exercises, such as dumbbell or barbell bench presses and barbell squats. Make sure that your weight lifting program includes free weights.

Use proper form and technique. Many men are guilty of using bad form and technique when lifting weights, but plenty of women also make this same mistake. Using bad form and technique results in less effective workouts and increases the chance for injury. Use muscle power, not momentum, when lifting weights. Don't heave, swing or bounce the weight. Lift and lower the weight in a steady and controlled manner. Concentrate on feeling the muscle that you're working (this is called the mind-muscle connection).

In conclusion, if you're a woman and weight lifting is not a part of your fitness program, it should be. Weight lifting for women is going to keep growing in popularity as more and more women discover just how beneficial weight lifting is.

Recommended Resource

Bodybuilding Revealed will show anyone, regardless of gender, age or fitness level, how to incorporate weight lifting into their fitness program. Read my review of Bodybuilding Revealed

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