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A Guideline to Strength Training For Women
Copyright © 2009 Jess Harley
It is no surprise that many women are afraid of
strength training. Some of you might thing that strength
training will bulk you up. Others might feel that it
does not burn many calories because of the misconception
that only cardio is good for weight loss. There
are many benefits to strength training and have no fear,
you will not bulk up and look like a body builder. Strength
training increases your muscle mass and your muscle
mass helps you to burn calories even when you are not
exercising. So where should you start when developing
a strength training routine
First thing to learn when getting started on a strength
training routine is what a “rep” is and what
a “set” is. You will hear this often throughout
from trainers. A rep is a repetion. It is how you
complete the exercise. Doing one full squat is one rep.
A set is a set of repletion’s. Most of the time
when you are just starting out it is advisable to do
two sets of eight to twelve reps. Once you can do that,
you can increase it to three sets.
Another thing to consider is when to work out. Most
trainers will not recommend you to work out after you
eat a big meal. Chances are you will feel more uncomfortable
than anything else. On the flip side, do not work out
when you haven’t eaten in a while. Working out,
and this includes strength training on an empty stomach
puts you at a risk of getting light headed. The
best idea to do is work out in-between meals or even
eat a light protein snack such as cheese or an egg before
you begin your workout.
Make sure you warm up before beginning your strength
program for at least 5-10 minutes. You can do some form
of cardio from walking, marching or even doing jumping
jacks just to warm up your muscles. You do not want
to begin lifting weights without some sort of warm up
because you increase your chance of injury to those
muscles. It is also important to make sure you pick
the right weight. If you have never done a strength
training routine, do not reach right away for the 10lbs
weight. You might want to start off at 2lbs just until
you get the hang of it. Try different weights to find
out one is in your fitness range. A good rule of thumb
is if you can’t lift it in good form at least 8
times, then it is too heavy and you need to go lower.
To find out if your weights are to light, see if you
can easily lift it 12 times or more. If you can,
then it is too light. You want to find a weight that
is just in the middle where you can lift it at least
8 to 12 times with a little bit of a challenge. Another
thing to keep in mind when strength training is that
to build muscle and tone, it might help to use a lighter
weight and do more sets. If you are looking to bulk
up use larger weights and less sets.
Have you ever seen how some weight lifters seem to
be holding their breath with each set? This is incorrect.
You should exhale when you lift the weight and inhale
when you are returning to starting position. This
holds true for adnominal crunches also. Breathe out
when you are doing the crunch and breathe in when you
are returning your body to the starting position.
Making sure you have the right form is crucial also
because it not only gives your muscle the best benefit,
it also reduces your injury. This is why it might be
a good idea to strength train with someone for a while
at first so they can correct your form.
Strength training does have to use free weights.
You can still get a good strength work out and build
muscle by using your own body’s resistance. This
takes discipline though and you must keep your movements
slow and controlled because you are essentially creating
your own resistance. If you are sloppy while doing
the moves, your effort will be for nothing. Also make
sure you take time off. While you can do a cardio exercise
everyday, strength training is better to do every other
day. You want to give your muscles time to rest.
Follow these guidelines and you will be reaping
the benefits of looking leaner, burning more calories
and improving your metabolism. By following a strength
training program you can have arms like Madonna or Cameron
Diaz in no time!
Author: Jess Harley
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Keywords : strength, bulk, muscle, training, routine,
exercise, rep, rule, weights, sets, meal, trainers,
body
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