I was putting together a flyer for work and thought this would be some good information to share...
The following are 10 Myths about Women and Strength Training.
Strength Training is very important to a womans health.
It doesn't have to be lifting weights.. you can do pushup, lunges, power yoga etc.
Women's Weight Training Myth #1
Weight training makes you bulky
Women do not, and cannot, naturally produce as much testosterone as men. Testosterone is one of the main hormones responsible for increasing muscle size. Women who conduct weight training get the firm and fit cellulite-free looking body that you see in most fitness/figure shows these days.
Women's Weight Training Myth #2
Exercise increases your chest size
Sorry girls. Women’s breasts are composed mostly of fatty tissue. Therefore, it is impossible to increase breast size through weight training. You can however, strengthen and firm the underlying chest muscles which helps to perk up the breasts.
Women's Weight Training Myth #3
Weight training makes you stiff and musclebound
If you perform all exercises through their full range of motion, flexibility will increase. Most women do not have enough of the proper hormones to get get musclebound.
Women's Weight Training Myth #4
If you stop weight training your muscles turn into fat
Muscle and fat are two totally different types of tissue. What happens many times is that when people decide to go off their weight training programs they start losing muscle due to inactivity (use it or lose it) and they also usually drop the diet as well. Therefore bad eating habits combined with the fact that their metabolism is lower due to inactivity, and lower degrees of muscle mass, give the impression that the subject’s muscle is being turned into fat while in reality what is happening is that muscle is being lost and fat is being accumulated.
Women's Weight Training Myth #5
Weight training turns fat into muscle
The way a body transformation occurs is by gaining muscle through weight training and losing fat through aerobic exercise and diet simultaneously. Again, muscle and fat are very different types of tissue. We cannot turn one into the other.
Women's Weight Training Myth #6
As long as you exercise you can eat anything that you want
Our individual metabolism determines how many calories we burn at rest and while we exercise. If we eat more calories than we burn on a consistent basis, our bodies will accumulate these extra calories as fat regardless of the amount of exercise that we do.
Women's Weight Training Myth #7
Women only need to do cardio and if they decide to lift weights, they should be very light
First of all, if you only did cardio then muscle and fat would be burned for fuel. One needs to do weights in order to get the muscle building machine going and thus prevent any loss of muscle tissue. Women that only concentrate on cardio will have a very hard time achieving the look that they want. As far as the lifting of very light weights, this is just more nonsense. Muscle responds to resistance and if the resistance is too light, then there will be no reason for the body to change.
Women's Weight Training Myth #8
In order to see results, you need to work every muscle individually
You actually get a better workout (as in faster results in less time) by performing compound moves. Think squats, lunges, dips, push-ups. you get double the bang for Another benefit of compound moves is that they mimic activities you're likely to perform in everyday life. This greatly reduces the chance you'll pull a muscle performing simple tasks.
Women's Weight Training Myth #9
For maximum definition, the more repetitions of each exercise, the better
You have to lift a challenging weight to see a change in the muscle. Low-weight workouts build endurance, which is important, especially if you participate in a sport, but in order to make real changes in the shape of the muscle heavier weights are needed.
Women's Weight Training Myth #10
I’m too old to start weight training
It’s NEVER to late to start weight training. Studies have shown strength improvements and numerous other benefits from weight training are possible at any age, even in subjects well into their 70s and 80s. In fact, a recent study, published in the
Journal of the American Medical Association, found that post-menopausal women can reduce their body fat, increase muscle mass, build up their bones, and improve their balance by lifting moderately heavy weights on a regular basis. Biologically, the women were about 20 years younger then they were at the start of the yearlong study.
Here are a few other benefits you may want to consider
You Will Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes.
You Will Fight Heart Disease.
You will improve your cholesterol profile & blood pressure.
You Will Be Able to Fight Back Pain and Arthritis.
You’ll be a Stronger Woman Physically and Mentally.
This video is a great example of strength training that uses no equipment.
Enjoy!
