Should Ladies Stay Away From Weights In The Gym?

By Howe Russ


One of the most frequently asked questions in gyms today is, "Should women lift weights?" Today you'll get the answer. Many ladies want to put weights into their routine alongside HIIT but are unsure if they're allowed, due to the many myths out there.

Every couple of years a new exercise trend hits the market. Usually it's something which has been around for years, but has suddenly been brought back into the mainstream after being repackaged or endorsed by a celebrity trainer. The last few years have seen the reemergence of kettlebell training, boxercise and boot camps. This year, the trend is set by high intensity interval training and resistance workouts. []

That's right, women around the world are suddenly finding the confidence the ask about using resistance training on a regular basis. While trainers around the world are undoubtedly rejoicing in this, the fact is most ladies are still buying into a few of the old myths which used to surround this subject, most notably:

* Women will get a bodybuilder-like bulky physique if they lift regularly.

* Women need to use very light dumbbells only.

* Women tone up from high reps and low resistance. If a lady doesn't follow this rule, she's going to put on size....

* Doing weights on your lower body will give you bulky legs which resemble a male rugby player.

Despite the fact that the myths above have been dis-proven so many times, they still exist in most gyms and health clubs. While regular exercise enthusiasts know them to be false, the mainstream still overwhelmingly buys into the myth that women should avoid resistance training for the reasons shown above.

To put it bluntly, yes, ladies should be incorporating resistance training into their routine. You cannot achieve a lean physique without making your body work against some sort of resistance.

When you take some time to look at the differences between the male and female body, those common fitness myths disappear rather quickly. The major difference is that women release much less testosterone, making the muscle building process far harder for them. A female bodybuilder needs to add extra supplements into their routine to pack on more muscle, it's not something which happens easily.

After all, if building muscle really was as simple as just picking up a weight then most men at the gym would look like Sylvester Stallone. But they do not. Do not concern yourself with this myth.

The ironic thing is that most ladies who are terrified of resistance training list fat loss as their main fitness goal. Fat loss is one of the biggest benefits to a regular resistance training program. Your body experiences a phenomenon known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, E.P.O.C. for short, in which you continue to power through calories at an increased level well after you finish training. It's also one of the best ways to tone up a body part you consider to be bulky at the moment, i.e. legs.

So let's make our final verdict, should women lift weights or avoid them completely? Not only should they be using them, they should be using them regularly! The most recent science in the fitness industry confirms that regular resistance training and HIIT are one of the most effective methods for burning unwanted body fat and getting leaner.




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