For women, lifting weights can be intimidating or conjure up images of unattractively muscle-bound female bodies, but there are actually many benefits of strength training for women.
Strong bones
One of the most important reasons women should pick up a set of dumbbells is to increase bone density, which in turn lowers the risk of later developing osteoporosis and brittle bones.
Weight management
For women wishing to lose weight and keep it off - conditioning with weights not only burns calories as you do it, but it's also a great way to boost your metabolism. This means that long after your workout is complete, your body will continue to burn calories at a faster rate than before. In addition, lean muscle mass created through strength training will burn more calories per day.
Sports advantage
If you're used to taking a daily run, playing tennis with friends or even chasing after your kids, you may notice that everything is easier and you play better than before adding a strength element to your exercise program.
Injury prevention
When you build strong muscles in the right places, you'll prevent injuries. This is because you'll protect your joints and ligaments, but also because you'll build up flexibility and balance so the likelihood of a fall is lessened.
Improved overall health
Like any exercise program, strength training can reduce your risk of illness. Plus, strength training can decrease cholesterol levels and reduce your risk for coronary heart disease the biggest cause of death for women in the US.
 | Strength training exercises help build physical strength, tone muscles, speed metabolism and maintain good bone density. Choose from a variety of strength training methods so you can stay fit at the gym, at home or on the road. |
 | Starting any new exercise program can be intimidating and tough, but when you add to the need navigate a whole new world of dumbbells and weight machines, it gets even harder. |
With the advances in weight-lifting technology, the choice between free weights and weight machines comes down to a matter of comfort, preference and safety. |
I'd like to present a case for choosing and using quality weight-resistance machines, while granting that free-weight "purists" do make some compelling arguments. In the course of this discussion, I will also allude to Weider and Parabody as two general types (and brands of) weight-resistance machines. |
If you're trying to get in shape, training for a sport, or are just looking to build some extra stamina and leg muscle running is a great way t start, but you can always use a little help. Leg weights and Ankle Weights are an old training technique, but are extremely effective at building stamina and muscle, and you can use them anytime anywhere. |
