Weight Lifting Tips for Women
- How you should go about getting started depends on two things: your experience working out and how good you are teaching yourself from instructional weight-training books. If you have never lifted weights, it is strongly recommended that you hire a personal trainer who can show the basics. Many health clubs offer one or two complimentary sessions with a trainer to help the new members get started working out when you sign up with them. Make the most out of this session and consider signing up for a few more. Even though the hourly fee for a trainer seem steep to some -- from $50 to $200 depending on trainer expertise and city -- you will find it well worth your money when you consider the consequences. Plenty of people hurt themselves, thinking that the art of lifting weights is easy to master.
- Most women want to look slim and toned. The only way to achieve this is to work out your entire body with weights, not only the arms. A great way to tone your lower body is to use some form of leg press machine or squatting, holding a barbell or dumbells on your shoulders. You need resistance to build muscle. The muscles will make you look toned. A good rule of thumb is to stay between 12 to 15 reps with all exercises. By the time you reach the last repetition, the muscles you are working should feel tired. If you feel comfortable in the weight room, get a weight training book and follow the exercise instructions there.
- According to the website TrulyHuge.com, the more testosterone an individual has, the more muscle he will build (see Reference 2). Women tend to have a lot less testosterone than men as well as a lot less muscle mass, which is why they are not likely to get that muscular male look. However, according to a study done by the American College of Sports Medicine in 1988, women and men actually do build the same amount of muscle relative to their size (see Reference 1). This leads us to believe that a woman may bulk up more than she wants to. To avoid this, do higher repetitions (20 to 25 per set) and use lighter weights. But do not use weights that are so light you do not feel anything at the end of the set.
