Saturday, March 9, 2013

Should Women Avoid Lifting Weights?

By Russ Hollywood


There is much confusion surrounding women's fitness these days. Should women lift weights if they are trying to build a lean, toned physique? The answer seems to differ depending who you ask. Today you'll get the facts on this subject, as well as finding out what supplements to take in order to keep your fitness journey on track.

The world of exercise and fitness has moved forward incredibly quickly over the last twenty years. Every year there are new developments in sports supplements and training methods, as well as new scientific research on previously unproven theories. It's barely the same world we lived in just 20 yeas ago. Yet despite all of this, there are many people who still have the same mentality which was floating around health clubs and gyms two decades ago.

They still believe that ladies who lift weights are going to get a bodybuilding physique. They also believe that endless cardiovascular exercise is the key to weight loss. You'll also hear them talking about how they can't seem lose weight no matter what they do in the gym. [
What do you think, should women lift weights or not? Find out in today\'s video.
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Thanks to the ongoing scientific research which is carried out many of the old wives tales about fitness have been confined to the 'myths' category. Unfortunately, there are so many people who are still stuck in those old ways that the new research tends to go unnoticed by the majority.

If you have always steered clear of the free weights section at your local gym, get ready for a minor shock. Training with weights is actually great for you! This applies both to women who want to get learner and also those who are prioritizing fat loss. Resistance training is crucial and can dramatically increase your results.

But won't you get big and bulky like a bodybuilder?

No, you will not. Imagine if building lean muscle was as easy as simply picking up some dumbbells a few times per week. Every guy in your workplace would own the physique of Rambo! It's not that easy, and bodybuilders only obtain that type of muscular physique by dedicating their lifestyle to their craft. If you want to bring out the definition in your muscles then you need to start doing some form of resistance training on a regular basis.

You certainly do not need to worry about getting big and muscular, because the female body does not have the testosterone levels to create a bulky physique without the outside influence of supplements. For this reason, you also don't need to be afraid of aiming for relatively low repetitions in your sets. You'll often hear that women should do sets consisting of 25 or more reps, but this is old advice which has been proven incorrect.

Try to stick to compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, bench presses and lat pulldowns for the first couple of months. This will allow you to significantly increase your strength, while keeping your weight sessions relatively short as you ease yourself into your new lifting lifestyle.

Supplements are often over complicated but in truth the key is in the name. It is there to supplement a good diet and exercise program, not replace it. So keep things simple with a good whey protein product and possibly a creatine monohydrate to boost explosive strength when you train.

Knowing what supplements to take can become tricky due to the amount of hype out there, so the best advice is to simply get a solid diet in place and then keep things simple. Not only do you now know the answer to the age old question 'Should women lift weights or not?', you are now in a position to help others get to the bottom of this popular fitness myth.




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