- Include strength training in your weekly exercise fitness program – no matter what your fitness goals are. Resistance training provides many health benefits, especially for women.
- Women, don’t be afraid of strength training. You won’t bulk up and, resistance training is easy to start with. Learning to strength train properly will get you all the results you’re looking for.
- It’s not all or nothing. It’s better to do a little training than none at all. Even if you can only fit in one workout in a week, you’ll still benefit from it.
- Be sure you are training with the properly sized resistance. Ideally, you should choose a size that fatigues you after 15 reps.
- Focus on your form and technique. If you are unable to use proper, form when performing an exercise then you probably are using weights that are too heavy. Choose a size that allows you to train with correct form.
- How long you rest between sets matters. For building muscles and getting bulkier the rest time should be longer. For more muscle endurance and leaner, more defined muscles the rest time should be shorter.
- Try a ‘periodization technique’ which progress every week over a 4-week time period. Starting with lighter weights and more reps, each week increasing the weight size and decreasing the number of reps.
While I’m at it, let me have ya take a peep at some of the new equipment I stocked up on lately:
- rebounder
- exercise tubing
- fitness balls
- versarolls
- weighted 20lb vest
- balance discs
Popularity: 18% [?]
February 7th, 2009 at 3:56 am
I agree that more women should be doing weight training–women don’t have the hormonal makeup required to get big and bulking.
Overall this is a good article . . . BUT–rest time between sets isn’t that big of a factor in whether you get big vs lean.
February 7th, 2009 at 3:56 am
That was supposed to say “big and bulky”; sorry.
February 7th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
no worries…