Should Women Avoid Lifting Weights?

By Russ Hollywood


If you are a lady trying to achieve a leaner, toned physique in the gym there is probably one question you have been dying to ask a trainer - Should women lift weights? Today you will get your answer. We will also reveal what supplements to take to maximize your results in your local gym.

The fitness industry, much like life itself, continues to evolve and develop with every year that passes. Just think how far computers have come in the last two decades. You wouldn't go back to using a Commodore 64 now when you have an iPhone 4, right? Yet the fitness industry has undergone a similar journey during this time and there are many folks out there who still follow outdated advice.

They'll tell you that you should stay away from protein powder because it will damage your kidneys. They'll lead to you believe you need to spend two hours per day on a treadmill to lose weight. They'll also have you believing that ladies need to stick to lifting pink, fluffy dumbbells for hundreds of repetitions to tone up. One thing is common in these individuals, and that is a lack of results. []

For some reason, huge amounts of exercise enthusiasts are unaware that many of the age old theories and myths surrounding weight loss and muscle building have been scientifically researched and now have either evidence to back them up or evidence to disprove them. Sadly, most people still stick to advice like the things you can read above, which date back decades and have no academic foundations.

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 isn't it true that you'll end up looking like a bodybuilder?

No. If it were that easy to obtain a bodybuilding physique then most of the men you'd see walking down the street would look like The Rock or Sylvester Stallone! Lifting weights will improve your strength and tone your muscles in a way that cardiovascular exercise simply can not. If you aspire to achieve the lean look demonstrated on athletes such as Jessica Ennis at the recent London Olympics, then lifting is very important.

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.

There is no need to be scared of big movements such as the bench press and squat. In fact, these are the type of multiple joint exercises which will provide you with stunning results if you perform them regularly.

Supplements can be kept to a bare minimum if you have a good diet and training program. Most people are familiar with whey protein so that is a good place to begin. If your goal is to get leaner and cut body fat then you should find a protein product which gives you a relatively low carbohydrate content and no more than 25 grams of protein in each serving. Other items you could use include creatine, which boosts your explosive strength to help you train harder in the gym, and glutamine, which aids muscular recovery after a tough workout.

Now you are fully aware of what supplements to take to help you reach your goal, you can begin on your journey to a leaner, toned physique. Furthermore, the next time you hear a lady ask "Should women lift weights?" you can help them get away from all of the old, unproven myths which surround this area of fitness.




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