Does Weightlifting Help Women over 40?
For many years it was believed that weightlifting was only done by men. Women feared weightlifting thinking it will make them look too big or manly. Perhaps you’re the woman who thought weightlifting was only for the most athletic of women. Not true. Indeed there is a sport of female bodybuilding but these women will be the first to tell you that they work extremely hard, probably twice or three times as hard, to gain the kind of physique as their male counter parts. Why? A simple biological fact – women do not make enough testosterone to build muscle as big or as quickly as men do.
So don’t worry about it ladies you can work out with weights and get phenomenal health benefits like losing weight and looking younger – yes I said “losing weight” and “looking younger” – by weightlifting! Lean muscle burns calories. Lean muscle is sexy. There is absolutely no reason why fitness conscious women, and I think today most are, need to restrict their workouts to just cardio and aerobics. Women can benefit from lean muscle mass as much as men.
Biological fact number two – we lose muscle mass as we age, do nothing to replace it, we lose strength and tone and look and feel older. Most Women also know that they are more susceptible to bone density loss than men, so they take calcium supplements. Weightlifting strengthens and builds not only muscle but bones. Studies in women, have shown that resistance training such as weightlifting cannot only prevent but in some cases can reverse the effects of osteoporosis.
Ladies you want shape – you want a figure. Building up the muscles of your shoulders and back will make your waist look smaller and who doesn’t want to look a few inches smaller in the waistline. And let’s not forget about what weightlifting can do for the old Gluteus Maximus; that butt. If you want “Buns of Steel” – Pump Iron!
Trainers will never suggest you give up aerobics altogether. In fact a workout regimen that combines traditional cardio-aerobics and weightlifting is ideal.
There you have it ladies. It’s time to add weights into your training routine. Need help incorporating a weight training plan for home, the office or I your gym, my SuperME Coaching program is designed for that purpose.
DEMA Health 