Weight Training Introduction

Ten years ago weight training had the connotation of massive body builders with big, bulky muscles.  Many women shied away from pumping iron in favor of low exertion exercise like yoga and Pilates to get a longer, leaner look.  Although many well-meaning advocates of the flexibility programs were helping Americans become more active, they were not presenting the full picture of fitness.

Although some physical activity is better than none, not all fitness is equal and different components of fitness exert the body in different ways.  To have a well-rounded routine, you must include flexibility, cardiorespiratory and weight training exercises.  Cardiorespiratory endurance is exercise that exerts and strengthens the heart muscle like fast walking, jogging, elliptical training, biking, hiking, and swimming.  Flexibility exercises assist in giving the joints a full range of motion and are necessary before and after cardio and weight lifting workouts to decrease the chance of injury.  These exercises should not, however, take the place of resistance workouts which build skeletal muscles. 

Benefits for Women   Weight training has many benefits, especially for women.  Progressive training increases muscle strength and endurance, wards off chronic diseases (like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension) and obesity, is conducive to psychological wellness, and enhances sports performance.  Not only this, but a person’s metabolic rate is increased, meaning that at rest your body is burning more calories because muscle burns more calories than fat.  Resistance training uses core muscles to stabilize the body while you are doing a specific exercise, thus building the muscles of the abdomen.  Good posture is promoted as well as decreasing the possibility of back injury.

Benefits for Older Adults   Older adults benefit because resistance training prevents the decline in physical mobility.  Those that weight train increase muscle strength and can participate in physical activity for a longer period of time before becoming exhausted.  Muscle strength and endurance also help maintain and increase bone mass.  Bone is built when it endures a greater load than the current structure normally supports.  Studies have shown that even post-menopausal women (whose bone density decreases rapidly) can improve bone density through weight training.

Contrary to some beliefs, building muscles does not equal a bulky appearance.  Because muscle is more dense than fat, it actually takes up less space.  In fact, fat takes up 20% more space than muscle.  Muscle is smooth and gives your body definition.  Moderate workouts will not create oversized muscles, but they will put you on track for better health.