subject: The Truth About Weight Lifting For Women [print this page] Consistency is the essence of lifeConsistency is the essence of life. Without consistency, who are we as individuals? Consistency defines the things we do and the people we are. Yet it is so difficult to be consistent. One of the most common areas of inconsistency for the majority of the American population is their personal fitness. Every New Years Day, millions of people, men and women alike, swear that they will create and stick to their fitness plan. By January 15, they have already disgraced themselves, missed a day at the gym, and sat at home eating chocolate cake.
Why is physical fitness such a hard goal to keep? One factor could be that we do not see the results we are expecting as fast as we want them. Women are major offenders of this pattern. They point to their thighs, their big butts, or their flabby arms and say that they are determined to loose that fat, right there. Yet women also have this terrible fear of bulking up. Lifting weights is not an option for them because they do not want manly muscles. They just want to be slim and toned. So what do most women do? They get a gym membership, buy a cute new outfit or two, get some new tennis shoes with good arch support, and hit the treadmills and stationary bikes. They figure that the more they sweat, the more fat they are burning, and since they notice so much fat in their one specific area of interest, they must be burning the fat from that massive store, right where they targeted.
Women, let me help you out. If you want to loose the flab on your under arm, grab some weights target your triceps. Is it your thighs that you want to tone? Get to the gym and explore the easy-to-use machines that show you exactly what muscle groups they are designed to target. Focus on repetitions as opposed to increasing weight. Once a certain weight gets too easy, then upgrade to the next level. Remember, if you want to strengthen your muscles, you need to work them. You need to get them tired, and possibly even tear them a little, so they can build themselves back stronger than before. You will not bulk up. Sure, we have seen women body builders, but they dedicate their lives to building muscles like that. They go to boot camps, spend hours with trainers, and possibly even take steroids. Women do not have enough testosterone to naturally grow muscles of that size. It does not happen by mistake.
If you want a toned slim body, do your cardiovascular work, but do not shy away from your weights. Lifting is great to help increase the fat burning in your body, strengthen your bones, and help you get rid of those flabby areas that you hate.
