Why Women Need to Strength Train Every day when I meet with a female client for the first time at the YMCA where I do personal training, I usually get some confused stares when I tell them they NEED to do strength training. Some look at me as if I'm crazy. There is a huge misconception that strength training will make a woman look like the "incredible hulk." Let me say this for the millionth time . . . this will not happen. I promise. Those women that you see in the magazines that look muscle bound are doing 2 things to get really big. First, they are lifting weights intensely for around 4 hours a day. Maybe more. And second, they are taking a few extra substances for their muscles to grow (the illegal stuff). This is nothing but the ego taking things to the extreme. Strength training will tone, shape and sculpt your body into a sexy physique. Cardio won't do it nor stretching. Only strength training. Jessica Simpson, Carmen Electra, Thalia, and Jennifer Lopez are all involved in strength training programs. Do they look masculine and muscle bound? No, they look the opposite. Very feminine and sexy. You see, women hardly have any testosterone to build muscle. Very little. Additionally, if you get involved in a well designed strength training program that lasts around 30 minutes per workout (that's all you need) 3 times per week, it would be impossible to build huge muscle mass. Won't happen. When women tell me about their prior exercise history and say they only do cardio, I cringe. Cardio is important, just as flexibility training is, but cardio by itself won't enable you to attain that sexy, sculpted body. Again, only strength training will do the trick. For example, an overweight woman doing cardio only will burn calories and will lose weight. However, she'll still only be a smaller sized of her former, pear-shaped, overweight self. Slimmer, but droopy. Not sexy. One more thing. As you increase your muslce mass through strength training, it will speed up your metabolism and help you burn more calories throughout the day. Not a bad extra benefit . . . The good news is that you can start at anytime a strength training program. You don't already have to be strong. Start at your own level by using light weights and then progressing to heavier weights as you gain strength. If you don't know much about strength training, hire a personal trainer to help you get started and design an effective program. You'll be amazed by the results. Get started today!
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