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Does lifting
weights make women bulky?
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If you avoid lifting
weights because you are afraid training with weights will give you bulky
muscles, you
might be surprised when you hear that it will not. To obtain those
"bulky" muscles, you literally have to spend hours in the gym.
The level of strength training required for general good health will not
produce bulk in women.
The hormone balance for men
and women are not the same.Thus, it takes a lot of effort to achieve the
likes of a female bodybuilder. To reap the known health benefits
associated with strength training - such as increased metabolism,
decreased risk of osteoporosis, and improved
mental health - it only takes about 30 minutes two to three times per
week.
For general fitness and conditioning, you need to include one or two
exercises that focus on each of the major muscle groups. Keep the weight
light to moderate. The number of repetitions should range from 10 to 15
reps per exercise. The number of sets performed depends on the amount of
time you have to spend. Research has shown that performing
three sets opposed to one set does not produce a significant benefit -
at least not enough to warrant the extra time spent performing the
additional two sets.
If you are worried about
weight gain as a side effect of weight training, you should know that
regularly incorporating strength training into your exercise regimen
will actually help you control your weight. True, you will
likely gain a few pounds after you begin strength training. However, it
is important to keep in mind that muscle is more dense than fat. This
means that while muscle may weigh more, it takes up less space.
As you lose fat and gain
muscle, your weight may not decrease. This is why it is so important not
to focus on the scale. How do your clothes fit? A little looser? How
about your appearance? Do you feel a little more confident in how
you look? Then forget what the scale says. You will very likely drop a
size or two with little to no change in your weight.
Long term is where you will
notice the real benefit of strength training for weight control. With
age you typically experience a decrease in the rate at which your body
uses calories (metabolic rate). By regularly
incorporating strength training, you offset the loss in muscle tissue
that typically occurs in the aging process. Ultimately, you avoid
age-related weight gain when you prevent muscle loss. Muscle tissue is
metabolically
active, unlike fat tissue. This means that even at rest, muscle tissue
is burning calories.
Lastly, as you become
stronger through weight training, you are likely to be more
active. You will feel better and have more energy. This alone will
promote a more active lifestyle. As a result you will spend less time
sitting around - this equals more calories burned. The message to take
out of this? Incorporating strength training exercises two to three
times per week will promote a healthy weight, not a bulky physique.
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