by Shaheen Darr

Created on: July 15, 2008   Last Updated: July 10, 2010

You are not keeping up with the times if you are wondering how women and weights go together. The fact is many women enjoy weight lifting and there is also no chance of them buidling muscles like Arnold Schwarzenegger because women do not have enough testosterone in their bodies to do so. In fact there are several health benefits associated with weight lifting which should encourage any woman to try her hand at this form of exercise.

Weights help tone the body and give it shape. As the muscles in the body get exercised they get tighter and in the process make the body appear shapely and trim. Initially, as you get more muscular you might show an increase in weight on the scales because muscle tissue weighs more than fat but do not get discouraged. Let the mirror be your judge and eventually as you burn calories by exercising you will see a weight loss too.

As the body gets fitter and more toned you get stronger because lean muscle mass is built and stored body fat is burnt off. With more strength your stamina increases and the number of activities you can do increase too. Women feel sexier and more active as their body image improves for the better. In addition, you see health benefits like a reduction in body fat which means a lower risk of diabetes, lower blood cholesterol and a reduction in the risk of a heart attack.

Fitter and stronger bones also mean a decrease in the risk of osteoporosis. This risk increases during the menopause when oestrogen levels start to fall and bone density starts to decrease. This loss of bone density can be prevented by lifting weights and strengthening underlying muscles.

Do a work out at least 3 times in the week and remember to do a warm up routine before you start any fitness regime. Try and keep your breathing normal and try the following basic exercises to get you started on a weight lifting routine:

The biceps curl is done to improve muscle tone in the arms. Hold weights with palms facing out and your elbows next to the body. Bend the elbows and curl the weights toward the shoulders without moving the elbows.

For the muscles in the legs do lunges and squats using weights. Do about 10 repetitions for each set of exercise and also start by using lighter weights. Once your stamina increases you can use heavier weights and increase the repetitions for each muscle group.

Exercises for the stomach have to target the different muscles that make up the stomach area. Using an abdominal machine and keeping the stomach muscles tight and the neck straight crunch your weight up and in a forward motion. Lower the weight and reverse the motion. Keep the focus on the abdomen.

Remember that each part of the body is made up of several groups of muscles that need to be targeted for maximum benefit and visible results. There are many online guides to help you started and the gym is also the best place to train under expert guidance.

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