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We've dispensed with the notion that pumping iron is the pass time of mythically muscle bound men who, in our minds, populate those dreary gyms of old. No, while lifting weights may be manly for some, it turns out ladies like it too! And they should. It's not only good for women to strength train and build muscle, it's essential to longevity and overall health.

Enough research has been done that we now embrace as conventional wisdom that weight bearing exercise, like lifting weights, improves a woman's chances of skirting some serious health concerns. Lifting weights helps increase bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Ligaments and tendons are strengthened, and flexibility is improved through weight lifting, reducing a woman's risk of injuries from vigorous activity. And of course, a woman's muscle mass increases when she regularly engages in a strength training routine that includes lifting weights.

It's the idea of that increased muscle mass, though, that sometimes dissuades women from starting a weight lifting program - most women don't want to bulk up. But for the vast majority of women, bulking up is not a risk posed by lifting weights. Hormonally, a woman's body is not programmed to develop massive muscles. Instead, for a woman, lifting weights produces the enviably sleek, defined and toned bodies that we see in magazines and on television.

However, looking good isn't the most important reason to aspire to a more well muscled body. More muscle keeps a woman young. As it turns out, the metabolic slow-down that we have come to associate with age, has less to do with passing years, and more to do with inactivity and a decrease in muscle mass.

Muscle tissue burns calories at a higher rate than other body tissues, like fat. This means that lifting weights can give you a lot of control over your metabolism, so extra pounds don't necessarily arrive with each passing birthday. In fact, as a woman ages, every body system that is affected by metabolism functions better if she maintains good muscle mass.

Getting started lifting weights is not actually physically difficult; often the biggest hurdle is mental. The idea of joining a gym and lifting weights in front of other people is daunting for many women. Also, getting motivated and staying motivated isn't easy. The way to get around both these obstacles is to start your weight lifting program at home, and to choose a few simple weight lifting exercises that produce quick results.

You'll need a set of dumbbells

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