Discovering Your Body Type:Women and Weights 

Are you one of those ladies that think if you lift weights you’ll look masculine?  Oh ladies you’ve been missing out and misguided!  Number one important thing to remember ladies, we’ve got to learn to accept our bodies, and body types, than we can work on accentuating them!   So now that we know the importance of daily aerobic (cardiovascular) activities, and have decreased our body fat and increased our lean body mass, the only way to reshape and gain that definition in our muscles is to train with weights.  Here are several benefits you will gain from weight training: 

• Metabolism will increase.  Which becomes particularly important for a women of middle age, (or as I like to say, more experienced lady).
• The density of your skeletal bones increase, thus fighting osteoporosis.
• The body will begin developing different forms of the growth hormone, which plays a big role of building or maintaining bone and muscles
• Injury prevention:  strength training helps build stronger ligaments and tendons, plus a stronger more functional core (abdominal and low back muscles)
• Increases brain power!
• Decreases stress! 

So you still unsure, or think that you may bulk up?  Only if you have the body type to carry the muscular structure, or are a serious body builder and take testosterone supplement, than maybe you would.  For every pound of lean tissue or muscle you put on, you will burn approximately seventy five additional calories at rest. The less muscle you have, the more difficult it is to lose the fat and that should be enough motivation for you to pick up those weights! Are you new at exercise or weight training?  I would recommend hiring a trainer at least for the first 12 weeks of your exercise program.  A trainer can help educate you; as well as monitor that you are performing the exercises correctly.  Or if finances may be limited, I suggest participating in a group exercise class.  A properly trained instructor can motivate you, provide you with viable knowledge, all while making it fun!