Introduction To Female Weight Training

As Women's fitness moves further into the 21st century, female weight training has discovered the importance of using free-weight and machine-based training equipment to build, re-shape, add curves and shadows to your muscle tone that some women never knew they had.

Weight training for women is a road of new discovery, learning how to focus on the exercises as you build new muscle and altar them using resistance; brings a new sense of self-confidence.

As your strength increases, so does self-esteem and self-empowerment from weight training, enabling the ability to overcome many of life's obstacles... this new reflection will show itself in your job, relationships and the mirror.

    Myths and Misconceptions of Female Weight Training

A popular misconception to weight training for women seems, even today - that if you weight train ‘you will get huge and musclebound'.

This is not true!

Yes, you can open up almost any women’s or men's bodybuilding magazines and see huge muscular women in them. Generally this is a pharmaceutical enhancement.

Most of the size distinction between Males/Females has to do with one hormone in particular - ‘Testosterone’, and its abundance in males. Females do possess this hormone, just in much smaller quantities.

Because of androgenic hormonal differences in males and females, females are unable to develop larger muscles like that of males regardless of the type of training program you use.

This is one of the major distinctions that males have as far as building larger muscle bellies are concerned.

Specifically; if you are training drug-free, the best case scenario for females is reaching a goal of a well built or well-structured fitness model.

So you won’t have to worry about becoming this thick or muscular in anyway. Even with that said, it's a tough, hard road for any female to reach proportions of professional bodybuilder's like you see in the magazines.

Becoming a large muscular diva doesn't happen like you might think in female weight training. Weight training for women is about increasing strength and new body aesthetics. 

Starting Out With Weight Training

As a female weight training, the first 6 - 12 months you will see lots of new exciting results, such as: overall weight loss, increased muscle tone and symmetry.

Chances are you will not see these gains every day or even every week; be patient with yourself, keeping your eye on your long-term goal as time passes.

Keep your goal in mind while staying motivated to it, brings success.

As the old saying goes; ‘Rome was not built in a day’, neither can your body. This is not bodybuilding', this is female weight training - a lifestyle; if you treat it that way you’ll get from it, exactly what you put into it.

Find a Goal of something you desire or want more than anything else. Write that goal on your mirror or fridge, so you see it everyday to motivate and remind you of it. 

Use your imagination to visualize your goals, arriving at them sends a powerful message to the subconscious. Serious female weight training athletes visualize in this way, strengthening the mental connection to their goal. 

Try to be consistent and persistent, if you’re training alone, experience loneliness, or are just inspired by having company; find another person from your gym to train with that shares the same goals.

Try not to be too shy when you approach people; just pick the right moment and express what you’re trying to achieve, be serious and others will take you serious.

Remember if you ask a more advanced athlete or someone in your own athletic range, most are friendly and they’re no different than you, lets face it: most of us are there for the same reason (Self Improvement), as they too started out the same.

You just have to do one thing and do it well...

Believe in yourself :

Always try to create positiveness in your training by adding creativity, fun and variety to your life and workouts.

As mentioned before a clear and defining goal and a solid plan towards the outcome of that goal is important, to spark your imaginations, motivational side, to get you to the gym in the first place...

You will also need to incorporate a good healthy diet  that includes the different macro-nutrients, timing, and amounts to eat.

Eating is often psychological, knowing and understanding these different times and applying them to your weight training will add immeasurably to your success. 

The Difference Between Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise

Aerobic training: strengthen's and conditions the heart, lungs and vessels of your pulmonary system. Aerobic activity/exercise burns more calories than anaerobic training initially. But...

is only burning these calories as the exercise is preformed, aerobics do have some toning benefits. Aerobic or ‘aerobic training’ means: with oxygen. See cardio vs weight training.

Weight training is different; it is an (anaerobic activity), performing contraction exercise increases muscle size, strength and tone, if you’re performing them in strict form with the proper set and rep ranges.

Anaerobic: or ‘anaerobic training’ means: without oxygen, the body’s lungs cannot produce and distribute enough oxygen against the resistance used in weight training to keep oxygen levels at par, so rests have to be taken between sets.

Skeletal muscle tissue is referred to as: 'active tissue', and requires a great deal of energy to maintain itself resulting in a greater calorie expenditure.

This active tissue raises your 'resting metabolic rate' or (RMR). this is the resting rate in-which calories are burned as you rest, this is something not received from cardio based exercise. 

Only female weight training will give you this added fat/calorie burning capability that works for you 24 hours a day. 

Female Weight Training...The Difference

Most forms of general exercise will not make your physique look like that of someone that has been weight training.

The human eye, notices symmetrical lines, the more symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing this appears, the more appealing this look becomes.

Developed biceps, abdominal's, shoulder to waist ratios, thighs, glutes and hamstring muscles all have a great visual impact and appeal.

Just being skinny does not produce these lines and curves of appeal, increasing your muscularity adds a new dimension of aesthetics and sexiness to your body that is unique to women.

Your new proportions will reflect and make that new dress you’re wearing look very different, even stunning when others view you from the front or the rear... 

By defining and adding muscle tone to the leg biceps and calf muscles found to the rear of the upper and lower legs, accents how you look in a set of heels.

This new muscle-tone from weight training streamlines your look, like only the legs can have, attracting attention form both Males and Females.

 Benefits And Genetics In Female Weight Training

Depending on what your reason is for taking up weight training: perhaps you may simply want to improve overall physical attractiveness with new muscle tone.

Or help self-esteem, to create a happier, energetic - positive lifestyle, or as a weight loss exercise strategy; anaerobic training burns fat, as it increases energy levels.

Weight training is not just for the genetically gifted. Genetics do have some say at a competitive bodybuilding level...  in the end you have the final say!

Female weight training is the work and effort that you put into your training that will reflect the reality of where you take it.

Each and every one of us are uniquely designed and created from birth. Most of us will never know our genetic potential until we've exploited and exhausted it, to its fullest.

Other female weight training benefits can be found in a longer term elevated metabolism, upwards of 20 - 30 hours following your workout, so what might this mean?

This results in a higher promotion of fat loss/calories burned from the microscopic tear-down of muscle fibres, from the weight training itself. (weight training fat loss)

Don't be alarmed, this is natural for new muscle growth to occur. This takes the body several hours to come down off the work-out.

During this time your (BMR) is raised, ‘Basal metabolic rate’. this continued effort of your body’s metabolism repairing and reproducing from the exercises performed increases metabolism, ultimately burning more calories at a lasting rate.

Benefits Towards Aging and Depression

Weight training for females can also provide different functional benefits such as improving posture, bone and muscle strength, providing better support for joints while reducing risk of illness and injury.

Another training benefit if the training is preformed vigorously enough, is higher released levels of dopamine and serotonin etc.

This hormonal release from intense activity can often counter feelings of depression, while aiding in stronger sleeping patterns.

The more you use your body, the better it becomes. The harder  you train it, the more efficient and stronger it gets, ultimately slowing the aging process.

       Don't Be Afraid To Challenge Yourself...Just Be Patient With Progress  

Female weight training isn't about simple cardio work or lifting one or two pound dumbbells for 10 or 15 repetitions, this - honestly is not enough.

This is why athletes that approach the gym and their training routines fully focused: See results.

Try to apply this mindset to your training routine, you're drive, dedication and how bad you want to improve will be the motivating factors of how you will ultimately look.

Stronger conditioned muscles need energy; and they burn it to get it.

Start with: 8 - 10 minutes of decent cardio work to get a good warm-up, gets the body ready for weight training.

Spend at least 30 to 45 minutes or so in the free weight pit of your gym. Progressively challenge yourself, meaning: add resistance and shortening rest times all adds intensity to produce these lasting results.

Understanding Weight Training Reps and Set Ranges

So what does this mean in female weight training?

Not to put too fine a point on it: you need to lift heavier weights! lifting in higher rep ranges, 15 to 20 of course does hold some benefit - but, does not hold-up to developing muscle tone or strength.

• 5 to 8 repetitions per set are generally for building size and strength.

• 9 to 12 repetitions per set are great for bodybuilding and beginners,depending on individual strength ratios.

• 12 repetitions and up - per set, is generally for endurance/toning.  

If you’re starting out as a beginner, I would strongly urge you to start with. 10 to 12 repetitions early in your weight training.

Choosing the right rep and set range toward your goal is the determining factor in achieving it!

For the first 2 to 3 months this rep range will increase vessel size, increasing oxygen distribution and efficiency. while increasing muscle/tendon and attachment strength: Ultimately increasing nervous system response time and efficiency...if intensity levels are challenged.  

Concluding:

I hope the article has helped with some new incite for you, I have always encouraged the Gals as much as the Guys that use my gym.

Don't be afraid to challenge your motivational and physical efforts, as you embark on you're fitness lifestyle, if you choose weight training as part of it.

Be positive and don't give up! You are stronger and better than you think. Fall in love with yourself, go after the things you want with a goal and the conviction to achieve it!

And every time you do, reward yourself, this is what builds discipline. As your strength increases you may find yourself... becoming a very different person. 

Good luck and all the best from DWT. 

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