The 5 ‘Must Know’ facts about Women and Weights!

1. Weight training will reduce the risks of osteoporosis

One thing that really frustrates me is the amount of postmenopausal women who are still performing a lot of cardio training such as walking on the treadmill, using the elliptical machine, or cycling. Billions (yes billions) of dollars are spent each year on medical care treating women with hip fractures. Women need to be doing a lot more weight training, or resistance exercise, in order to strengthen bones and increase bone density. What people need to understand is that bone tissue is just like any other live tissue such as the heart or the kidneys. It is constantly remodeling itself. You don’t have the same skeleton you had a few years ago, your bones are being broken down and built up again on a daily basis. The problem lies in the fact that the build-up process is less efficient than the breakdown process down known as “resorption”. Over the years bone mineral density becomes less and less, making your bones more and more fragile. With the reduction of the hormone estrogen in postmenopausal women, less bone is formed thus increasing the risks of osteoporosis. Weight training places quality stress on bone structures more so than just simple aerobic activity. Don’t get me wrong walking etc. is good also, but make sure you follow a quality weight training or resistance training program on a regular basis with a quality intake of calcium, approx. 1200 mg/day and also Vitamin D (400-800 international units) which you will need to absorb calcium.

2. Weight training will NOT produce large, bulky muscles.

Women cannot produce high levels of testosterone which is needed for large muscle gains; they simply do not have the genetic makeup for it. When you see a woman with very large muscles this is achieved through a combination of weight training, anabolic steroids, and a large calorie intake. What women will gain from weight training is lean, strong muscles, that burn more fat.

3. Weight training will reduce your risk of back and hip injuries.

By performing exercises such as squats and lunges, the muscles of the back and hips will become much stronger which makes women less susceptible to falling. The increase in bone density from weight training mentioned earlier will further decrease the risks of injuries.

4. Weight training produces greater fat losses.

Weight training will stimulate your metabolic rate far greater than aerobic exercise will. Once your aerobic session has ended there is little post-elevation of your metabolic rate. Weight training however raises your metabolic rate far higher and as you gain more lean muscle tissue your metabolic rate will increase also. Muscles have a high energy requirement, so even when your sitting or sleeping, your muscles will be burning calories for you, so the key is to develop quality lean muscle tissue, turning you into a fat-burning machine!

5. Weight training makes you look sexy.

By working with weights, women can develop sexy and curvy muscles, improving their physical appearance enormously. Well rounded shoulders, a strong and curvy posterior, and lean legs can all be achieved in a matter of weeks through correct exercise prescription. We lose approx. half a pound of muscle tissue every year after the age of 25 which explains why we put on weight, develop more body fat, and lose our physiques and figures. Weight training fights to reverse this process, so get off the cardio machines and ask your personal trainer for a fat-burning, body conditioning, resistance exercise program!