Should Girls Lift Weights

Should Girls Lift Weights

Going to the gym you tend to see patterns. Women are on the treadmills and other cardiovascular machines while men are bench pressing and lifting weights. Should girls lift weights? We know that weight lifting is one of the best ways to burn fat and build strong muscle. Ladies, please don't be afraid or intimidated to pick up those weights. I'm not talking about those little 2 pound pink weights that we've all used at some point. Go out there and lift serious weight. Push and challenge yourself!

Top Reasons Why Should Girls Lift Weights

• You Will Be Physically StrongerIncreasing your strength will make you far less dependent upon others for assistance in daily living. Chores will be easier, lifting kids, groceries and laundry will no longer push you to the max or make you feel tired.If your maximum strength is increased, daily tasks and routine exercise will be far less likely to cause injury as well. Research studies conclude that even moderate weight training can increase a woman's strength by 30 to 50 percent. Research also shows that women can develop their strength at the same rate as men.
• You Will Lose Body Fat.Aerobic workouts are great for many thing, but not necessarily so great for losing weight in all actuality - especially if all you are doing is walking or a light jog. Of course you are burning more calories than sitting inside and watching TV, and of course it is great for your health. But if you want to really burn the fat, you need to lift weights.This is because one of the top ways you burn calories is the fact that every single cell in your body is replaced very quickly. Muscle cells are the hardest to replace and use a ton of energy to maintain them, so if you build more muscle then you will burn more calories - even at rest! This is why really, really fat people need to eat like crazy! For the sake of an argument, lets say someone is 600 lbs, maybe they eat 10,000 calories a day. They might actually burn 10,000 calories a day just because of how much their resting metabolic rate is. There is a reason larger people lose weight a lot faster than just a slightly overweight person will.Of course, fat doesn't take nearly the same amount of calories to maintain its self. Muscle however, is very costly to your body, and by gaining a few pounds in muscle you will naturally burn more calories all day long, this is multiplied when you do workouts. However, you need to constantly work your muscles out or your body will get rid of them fast. This is because they are very taxing on your body and it wont keep them if it doesn't think it needs them.
• You Will Gain Strength Without Bulk.Many women are scared to death to strength train because they don't want to look manly, and I agree! This is exactly the way I felt, however my husband taught me a lot about working out and quelled my fears of bulking up. Women do not naturally build muscle like men, you need testosterone to bulk up and you also need to work out a certain way,"Bulking up" requires extremely intense sessions so that the muscle is totally ripped apart, your body will then rebuild it bigger and stronger so it doesn't happen again, of course in the case of body building it does. But this is due to the intensity of the workout and most importantly the high levels of testosterone.Women can gain muscle but you will look fit and not bulky unless you try to get bulky, no one gets that way on accident and female bodybuilders actually take a lot of testosterone to have a chance to look the way they do.

Aerobic workouts are great for many thing, but not necessarily so great for losing weight in all actuality - especially if all you are doing is walking or a light jog. Of course you are burning more calories than sitting inside and watching TV, and of course it is great for your health. But if you want to really burn the fat, you need to lift weights.

This is becauseResearchers also found that unlike men, women typically don't gain size from strength training, because compared to men, women have 10 to 30 times less of the hormones that cause muscle hypertrophy. You will, however, develop muscle tone and definition. This is a bonus.

Girls: Lift those weights and if you don't know where to start check out this amazing "Lift like a Girl" program that will teach you everything you need to know.

[thrive_link color='orange' link='http://8be3d8yo03uqzt6jmyw8vdl527.hop.clickbank.net/' target='_blank' size='medium' align='aligncenter']Learn to Lift[/thrive_link]

4.You Decrease Your Risk Of Osteoporosis.Research has found that weight training can increase spinal bone mineral density (and enhance bone modeling) by 13 percent in six months. This, coupled with an adequate amount of dietary calcium, can be a women's best defense against osteoporosis.

5.You Will Improve Your Athletic Performance.Over and over research concludes that strength training improves athletic ability in all but the very elite athletes. Golfers can significantly increase their driving power. Cyclists are able to continue for longer periods of time with less fatigue. Skiers improve technique and reduce injury. Whatever sport you play, strength training has been shown to improve overall performance as well as decrease the risk of injury.

6.You Will Reduce Your Risk Of Injury, Back Pain and Arthritis.Strength training not only builds stronger muscles, but also builds stronger connective tissues and increases joint stability. This acts as reinforcement for the joints and helps prevent injury. A recent 12-year study showed that strengthening the low-back muscles had an 80 percent success rate in eliminating or alleviating low-back pain. Other studies have indicated that weight training can ease the pain of osteoarthritis and strengthen joints.

7.You Will Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease.According to Dr. Barry A. Franklin, of William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, weight training can improve cardiovascular health in several ways, including lowering LDL ("bad") cholesterol, increasing HDL ("good") cholesterol and lowering blood pressure. When cardiovascular exercise is added, these benefits are maximized.

8.You Will Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes.In addition, Dr. Franklin noted that weight training may improve the way the body processes sugar, which may reduce the risk of diabetes. Adult-onset diabetes is a growing problem for women and men. Research indicates that weight training can increase glucose utilization in the body by 23 percent in four months.

9.It Is Never Too Late To Benefit.Women in their 70s and 80s have built up significant strength through weight training and studies show that strength improvements are possible at any age. Note, however, that a strength training professional should always supervise older participants.

10.You Will Improve Your Attitude And Fight Depression.A Harvard study found that 10 weeks of strength training reduced clinical depression symptoms more successfully than standard counseling did. Women who strength train commonly report feeling more confident and capable as a result of their program, all important factors in fighting depression.

With all these great reasons to weight lift you have no reason not to! Get out there and lift! Grab a friend to come with you if you are shy or ask a gym staff member if you are not sure if you are using equipment correctly - this is crucial to avoiding injury!

Share this article with a friend or leave your thoughts below!