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This is the first thought that comes to most of the minds of women when we talk about weight training:  A room full of men with large biceps, whose faces are beet red due to the extreme amounts of weight they are lifting, in an effort to further increase the size of their already bulging bicep muscles. Well, most women do not desire to see their own bicep muscles bulge and may shy away from weight training also known as resistance or strength training. However, many women are not aware of the many wonderful body altering and life changing effects that weight training can have for women if the workout performed is designed specifically for women. So just how do women need to train? The answer is very differently than men.

Firstly

Let’s discuss some of the physical issues that plague many women regarding body shape and body composition. Most women have the same issues. They want to become more firm and leaner, they want delicate feminine cuts, they want to defeat the battle with the hips, thighs and back of the upper arms. In many cases, women want to not only firm up these problem areas, but they want to reduce the size of these areas. Although nothing can replace the benefits of aerobic training, aerobic training does not tone muscle, and muscle tone is the only answer to the battle.Women need to incorporate weight training into their fitness routines in order to have the best body that they as an individual can possibly have.

Let’s explore some basic principals of how women should resistance train.

First, as a general rule, women should perform exercises at a weight that allows them to complete 15 to 20 repetitions, with the last few repetitions feeling a bit challenging. Secondly, problem areas should be trained three to five times a week, following the 15 to 20 repetition rule. Lastly, exercises should be done in a fairly fast paced circuit. This means for example, in a given workout if there are four different lower body exercises being performed in that particular workout session, exercises 1-4 should be performed once (15 – 20 times each) , then exercise 1-4 should be performed again and when endurance permits, even a third or fourth time. In addition to the visible physical changes that will result from consistent resistance training, there are numerous health benefits that only resistance training can provide for women.

Including:

• Slowing down the aging of the skeleton and increasing bone mass.
• Improve the strength and function of tendons and ligaments.
• Rev-up metabolism by building lean muscle. For every pound of lean muscle built, an additional 50 calories a day will be used.
• Replaces the 1/2 pound of muscle that we lose each year as we age, beginning at around the age of 30.

There are many other benefits of resistance training, but those are several important ones.

If properly done, your workout can not only give you that swimsuit model physique that you want, but it also can provide you with results that can reverse some of the inevitable results of aging. If done properly, resistance training will not make you bigger. It will in fact reduce and firm the areas that you battle with that won’t go away no many how many aerobic classes you take. Remember, you are never too old to begin. No matter if you are in your 20’s or your 80’s, if done properly and safely, resistance training can change your life by making you stronger, and firmer in a very feminine way.

References: http://www.workoutsforwomen.com