by Casey Willey

Created on: April 26, 2008   Last Updated: May 05, 2008

I do not want to have big muscles and look like a bodybuilder! Strength training is only for competitive bodybuilders and athletics. If I strength train, I will look like a guy with big bulky muscles!

Have you ever heard any of these arguments from women when discussing the idea of strength training exercise? Or maybe you have even used one of these arguments yourself. Strength training is continuing to gain popularity as an effective form of exercise. Before making a decision to dismiss it as a workout plan for you, please take some time to review some facts on the benefits of strength training for women.

Traditionally, women may have focused more on cardiovascular exercising with workout tapes or a Jazercise class. In addition to cardio training, women may tend to focus on the dieting aspect of getting in shape and restricting calories. This may work for some, but overall, a woman focusing on restricting calories or only doing cardiovascular training will not show the same results as a woman that adds strength training to her workout routine.

Dieting and cutting calories may, in fact, make it harder to lose weight and to get in shape, than simply adding weight strengthening workouts. When you focus on cutting calories, your metabolism will slow down because the body may believe it is going into "starvation mode." If the body sees a sharp drop in the number of calories it is getting every day, it will start to slow down the metabolism to hold on to some of the calories that it is receiving. This starts the cycle of more calorie restriction and more cardiovascular training to try to get results.

Women who add strength training to a proper diet, which focuses on portion control and healthy choices and not simply calorie restriction and women who add strength training along with cardio training, will see the benefits and faster weight loss results.

The benefits of strength training, especially in a weight loss program, can be huge. It takes more calories to maintain a body that has muscle, than it does to maintain fat in the body. Therefore, simply by strength training and adding some muscle mass to your body, you will burn more calories throughout the entire day. After you strength train, your body needs more calories to rebuild the muscles. Therefore, if you strength train while eating a healthy diet, you will see great results.

Strength training does not have to be about building a huge bodybuilders body. You can get in shape and create a nice lean strong body, as well.

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