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Women often fear strength training because they believe it will add too much bulk to their frame. I am here to let you know this isn’t so, and along with that, I am offering some great strength training tips for women. These tips are ideal for helping women to tone and build strength without feeling like they are working on a body building competition.
Top Strength Training Tips For Women
Before you begin any kind of fitness or strength training routine, you need to make sure that your physician has given you the approval to do so. While most individuals can safely begin exercise there are many cases where it can aggravate a condition. Before any change in diet or exercise, make sure to consult your physician.
As you work on fitness in your daily routine, strength training for women is important. Women carry more fat on their bodies than men, and it has been proven that having muscle helps burn fat. Not only do you want to work in tons of cardio activity into your fitness routine to help burn calories, but you want to strengthen your muscles to help make those calories burn even faster.
Learn proper technique.
When you begin lifting weights as part of strength training, it is vital to do so safely. Many people stop strength training simply because of injuries due to lack of knowledge. There are excellent videos on the Mayo Clinic website for how to do many of the traditional strength training exercises. These videos are ideal for beginners since they detail how to do each movement and give you a great start.
Alternately, you may find a personal trainer at a local gym that can help teach you in person. While this can be a costly investment for some, there are regularly sales and events that allow you to pay for sessions at a lower rate. Even if you believe it is out of your budget, don’t hesitate to contact local gyms and ask about their training programs. You may be surprised at inexpensive offers available.
Use your own body weight in training.
The link above from the Mayo Clinic also shows some amazing tips for using your own body weight in strength training. For many, this is a great place to begin. Since you are working on building up strength and also want to limit potential injury, using your own body weight is a great beginning.
There are a number of moves you are probably already familiar with that are actually ideal for strength training. Things like squats, lunges, and calf lifts are all forms of body weight strength training. Pull ups, push ups, and even planks are also popular options that are routinely used for strength training rely solely on your own body weight.
Another option for strength training is the use of resistance bands. These provide just a bit more focus when training that are inexpensive, easy to use anywhere, and ideal for many on a budget. There are multiple types of resistance bands, but beginners can start for under $15 and work for long term needs.
Add reps before adding weight.
For those who are concerned about gaining bulk, it is important to remember your goals. Adding more reps to your routine instead of higher weights is a great way to create more toning and enduring strength. That said, don’t hesitate to increase weight. To create the bulk that many women fear, would take extensively focused training that you aren’t going to get in your 30-45 minute sessions 2-3 times per week. There really is very little fear of gaining bulk when strength training without focused high protein meals, and excessive training.
These tips for strength training for women are a great way to begin your fitness routine. Strength in your muscles will help support your body and provide you with better health. Since we rely so heavily on core strength to support our backs, it is so important to make sure we are building strength and staying toned and strong. These tips are a great place to begin.
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