Women and weights

Most women who exercise are spending most of their gym time on cardiovascular exercise. Whatever your reasons for avoiding the weights, if you are a woman, here are 4 reasons why you need to take training with weights seriously.

1. You Will Lose Body Fat.
The average woman who trains with weights, two to three times a week will gain muscle and will lose body fat. As your lean muscle increases so does your resting metabolism, muscle is more active than fat. In fact, a pound of muscle can burn anywhere from 35-50 calories a day while a pound of fat burns only 2-5 calories a day. And, don't forget, muscle is more denser than fat and takes up less space. That means when you lose fat and gain muscle, you'll be slimmer and trimmer

2. You Decrease Your Risk of Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease of low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue which leads to fractures mainly of the hip, wrist and spine. It is more common in women around 1 in 3 will develop this disease. Studies have shown that women who exercise regular with weights reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis. This is because weight bearing exercise helps maintain and builds up bone mass. 

3. You Will Gain Strength without Bulk. 
Women typically don't gain size from weight training, because compared to men, women have 10 to 30 times less of the hormones that cause muscle bulk. You will, however, develop muscle tone and definition, you will also have better balance and agility to exercise in more advanced way. This is a bonus.

4. You Will Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes. 
Training with weights may improve the way the body processes sugar, which may reduce the risk of diabetes. Adult-onset diabetes is a growing problem for women and men. Research indicates that weight training can increase glucose utilization in the body by 23 percent in four months 

So ladies get yourselves off the cardiovascular machines and into the free weight areas as well. Soon you see the results.

Ideally you should spend 2-3 sessions doing cardiovascular and 2-3 sessions on the weights.