Learn to love your Weights
There are two competing myths out there that somehow work together to keep women
out of the weight room. The first is that by strength training women will develop
"manly" physiques and sacrifice femininity in their quest for health. The other
is that strength training doesn't really work for women and is basically a waste
of time. There may be the slightest hint of truth behind both statements, but the
real truth lies somewhere in between. There is a small minority of women on each
end of the spectrum who may experience the reality behind the myths, but the vast
majority of women will experience the many health benefits of resistance training
while seeing positive changes in their shape and improvements in their appearance
and self-esteem.
There are three primary benefits to a regular resistance-training program.
Increased strength of bones, muscles, and connective tissue. This not only decreases
the risk of eventually developing osteoporosis, it decreases your risk of injury
in everything you do.
Increased muscle mass. As muscle mass increases, it becomes easier to maintain a
healthy body weight. This is due to an increase in calories burned when the body
is at rest.
Enhanced quality of life. This becomes increasingly important as we get older. What
this means is that the things we do everyday - lifting our children or grandchildren,
carrying groceries in from the car - will become easier as our overall strength
improves.
As you probably have read in a million articles by now, the three aspects of a complete
fitness program are cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility training. By neglecting
any of those components, you are neglecting an important piece of your overall health.