Women Pumping Iron

Our society associates weight training with oversized muscles, which in truth is extremely difficult for most people to achieve.

Yet this is a major reason women are hesitant to take up a weight lifting program.

To build big muscles the right hormones (testosterone) are necessary. Women's testosterone levels are much lower than men's, so in most cases, they are not capable of building large muscles.

Women actually tend to lose inches when they strength train because muscle takes up less room than fat. So strength training gives physical benefits such as increased metabolism, decreased risk of osteoporosis, increased strength and will help you slim down as well.

Research shows that women, in fact, are more likely to tone up from strength training rather than bulk up by adding up to 30% more lean muscle and end up looking thinner, feeling stronger and being firmer.

The problem most women have isn't building too much muscle, but not building enough. This sets them up for increased risk of osteoporosis later in life as bone density reduces from about age 40 onwards. This can be prevented however by weight training as it increases bone density.

Muscle mass tends to naturally reduce as one ages an becomes less active, which has an adverse affect on metabolism and can result in weight gain. If you want more info read here. So it's not just a good idea to do weight training, it's essential. Make a decision on how important this is to you and start today.