Exercise and Fitness Reviews

Five Reasons Women Should Lift Weights

Five Reasons Women Should Lift Weights
By Michael Glatter

When you walk into any club or fitness facility you will often find women tracking hours on a piece of cardio equipment and never see the results they want. What’s missing?

Resistance Training. Many women fear the risk of getting too bulky and are instantly put off when someone suggests that they lift weights. I’m going to give you five reasons you need to lift those weights ladies.

You’ll increase muscle tone

Muscle tone is responsible for keeping your posture whether you’re sleeping or awake. Now how does lifting weights help you increase your muscle tone? Your muscles become more efficient from the tension under weights that your muscles will better keep their tone throughout the day.

You’ll lose weight

Lifting weights increases your resting metabolism for upwards of 24 hours after your exercise session. This increase is greater than the increase your metabolism receives after a long running session. This is the same very reason High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has started to become popular.

You’ll keep the weight off

Not only are you going to increase your resting metabolism after you lift weights; you will also increase your metabolism for life as you gain muscle. As your muscles grow and develop they will consume more Calories for life.

You’ll feel better about yourself

Many women I work with are intimidated by the gym atmosphere. Entering most gyms filled with dozens of machines can be intimidating. There are so many different places you can start. Even similar machines made by a different company can be confusing. Free weights are the same anywhere you go. A study done in 2005 suggests women not only judged how much better they felt about themselves by what they looked like in the mirror, but also by how much stronger they became after a 12 week period of resistance training.

You won’t bulk up

Unless you’re on the same pharmaceuticals as the pro bodybuilders you will not end up looking like them. Even with the aid of drugs it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to look like that. If you find that way to instantly become 20 pounds more muscular after a set of deadlifts let me know so I can start incorporating it for my male clients.

Michael Glatter is a certified personal trainer through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and through the American Council on Exercise. He is an in-home and online personal trainer based out of Richmond, VA. You can read more about him at http://www.glatterfitness.com.

About the Author

Michael Glatter is a certified personal trainer through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and through the American Council on Exercise. He is an in-home and online personal trainer based out of Richmond, VA. You can read more about him at www.glatterfitness.com.

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