Should women lift weights in the gym? This is one of the most commonly asked questions in fitness circles and today you will find the answer. You'll also find out what supplements to take if you are a lady trying to build a lean, toned physique.
The world of exercise and fitness has moved forward incredibly quickly over the last twenty years. Every year there are new developments in sports supplements and training methods, as well as new scientific research on previously unproven theories. It's barely the same world we lived in just 20 yeas ago. Yet despite all of this, there are many people who still have the same mentality which was floating around health clubs and gyms two decades ago.
They'll tell you that you should stay away from protein powder because it will damage your kidneys. They'll lead to you believe you need to spend two hours per day on a treadmill to lose weight. They'll also have you believing that ladies need to stick to lifting pink, fluffy dumbbells for hundreds of repetitions to tone up. One thing is common in these individuals, and that is a lack of results. []
The days of training that way are long gone. So many of the old myths surrounding fitness have been proven wrong in the last few years by scientists with a keen eye on improving life in the gym. Yet many gym users remain unaware and continue to do the same old things which weren't working for them in the first place.
If you have always steered clear of the free weights section at your local gym, get ready for a minor shock. Training with weights is actually great for you! This applies both to women who want to get learner and also those who are prioritizing fat loss. Resistance training is crucial and can dramatically increase your results.
But isn't it true that you'll end up looking like a bodybuilder?
No. If it were that easy to obtain a bodybuilding physique then most of the men you'd see walking down the street would look like The Rock or Sylvester Stallone! Lifting weights will improve your strength and tone your muscles in a way that cardiovascular exercise simply can not. If you aspire to achieve the lean look demonstrated on athletes such as Jessica Ennis at the recent London Olympics, then lifting is very important.
You certainly do not need to worry about getting big and muscular, because the female body does not have the testosterone levels to create a bulky physique without the outside influence of supplements. For this reason, you also don't need to be afraid of aiming for relatively low repetitions in your sets. You'll often hear that women should do sets consisting of 25 or more reps, but this is old advice which has been proven incorrect.
There is no need to be scared of big movements such as the bench press and squat. In fact, these are the type of multiple joint exercises which will provide you with stunning results if you perform them regularly.
Supplements can be kept to a bare minimum if you have a good diet and training program. Most people are familiar with whey protein so that is a good place to begin. If your goal is to get leaner and cut body fat then you should find a protein product which gives you a relatively low carbohydrate content and no more than 25 grams of protein in each serving. Other items you could use include creatine, which boosts your explosive strength to help you train harder in the gym, and glutamine, which aids muscular recovery after a tough workout.
Knowing what supplements to take can become tricky due to the amount of hype out there, so the best advice is to simply get a solid diet in place and then keep things simple. Not only do you now know the answer to the age old question 'Should women lift weights or not?', you are now in a position to help others get to the bottom of this popular fitness myth.
The world of exercise and fitness has moved forward incredibly quickly over the last twenty years. Every year there are new developments in sports supplements and training methods, as well as new scientific research on previously unproven theories. It's barely the same world we lived in just 20 yeas ago. Yet despite all of this, there are many people who still have the same mentality which was floating around health clubs and gyms two decades ago.
They'll tell you that you should stay away from protein powder because it will damage your kidneys. They'll lead to you believe you need to spend two hours per day on a treadmill to lose weight. They'll also have you believing that ladies need to stick to lifting pink, fluffy dumbbells for hundreds of repetitions to tone up. One thing is common in these individuals, and that is a lack of results. []
The days of training that way are long gone. So many of the old myths surrounding fitness have been proven wrong in the last few years by scientists with a keen eye on improving life in the gym. Yet many gym users remain unaware and continue to do the same old things which weren't working for them in the first place.
If you have always steered clear of the free weights section at your local gym, get ready for a minor shock. Training with weights is actually great for you! This applies both to women who want to get learner and also those who are prioritizing fat loss. Resistance training is crucial and can dramatically increase your results.
But isn't it true that you'll end up looking like a bodybuilder?
No. If it were that easy to obtain a bodybuilding physique then most of the men you'd see walking down the street would look like The Rock or Sylvester Stallone! Lifting weights will improve your strength and tone your muscles in a way that cardiovascular exercise simply can not. If you aspire to achieve the lean look demonstrated on athletes such as Jessica Ennis at the recent London Olympics, then lifting is very important.
You certainly do not need to worry about getting big and muscular, because the female body does not have the testosterone levels to create a bulky physique without the outside influence of supplements. For this reason, you also don't need to be afraid of aiming for relatively low repetitions in your sets. You'll often hear that women should do sets consisting of 25 or more reps, but this is old advice which has been proven incorrect.
There is no need to be scared of big movements such as the bench press and squat. In fact, these are the type of multiple joint exercises which will provide you with stunning results if you perform them regularly.
Supplements can be kept to a bare minimum if you have a good diet and training program. Most people are familiar with whey protein so that is a good place to begin. If your goal is to get leaner and cut body fat then you should find a protein product which gives you a relatively low carbohydrate content and no more than 25 grams of protein in each serving. Other items you could use include creatine, which boosts your explosive strength to help you train harder in the gym, and glutamine, which aids muscular recovery after a tough workout.
Knowing what supplements to take can become tricky due to the amount of hype out there, so the best advice is to simply get a solid diet in place and then keep things simple. Not only do you now know the answer to the age old question 'Should women lift weights or not?', you are now in a position to help others get to the bottom of this popular fitness myth.
About the Author:
Next step: Russ Howe PTI answers the question should women lift weights in the gym today. He also shows you what supplements to take to reach your target physique in his latest new material which is available online.
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