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Women & Weight Training

(lift weights to burn more fat)

 For years I have witnessed female clients, family members and other fitness enthusiasts avoid weight training and head straight for the cardio equipment.  When I asked women why they performed little to no weight training as part of there exercise regimen, the vast majority said they did not want to build big bulky muscles.  I am not sure where this myth started but it could not be further from the truth.

Muscle growth is more related to your Anabolic hormone production rather than just simply lifting weights.  Men produce as much as 30 times the amount of anabolic hormones women produce.  This is the reason men can put on muscle so much faster than women and in turn why women will not gain the big bulky muscles that men can get from weight training. 

Weighting training can actually help you loose more fat than cardiovascular training!  A study performed by Wayne Wescott PHD from the south shore YMCA in Quincy, MA found that women who weight trained 2-3x's per week for 60 days, on average added 2 lbs of muscle and lost 3.5lbs of body fat!  That is amazing! Just from proper weight training alone, Women lost 1.5lbs of total body weight and 3.5lbs of fat!  Added muscle will help your body burn more fat during the day. One pound of muscle burns 30-45 calories per day, where as one pound of fat burns only 2-3 calories a day.  Muscle is also more dense than fat. So when you loose body fat and gain lean muscle, your measurements will become slimmer! 

Weight training for women actually becomes more important the older you get!  Women over 40 start to loose bone density and muscle mass which puts women more at risk for osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.  Having adequate muscle mass will help relieve the stress placed on your joints during daily activities, which will cause less aches and pains as you age!

Sometimes the gym can be an intimidating place for women to perform their weight training exercises.  This is understandable, but the gym is not your only option!  At Fitness Together we provide you with your very own private suite so you can relax and focus on your needs! 

So there you have it. Women should lift weights to improve their overall health, loose body fat and inches!  Make it a great day!!! 

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