Some Common Myths That Keep Women From Weight Training

Training with weights has long been known to improve health, step up vigor, improve strength, and improve the physique. Men have been capitalising on this fact for numerous years now, but many women have been avoiding weight training and continue to do so because they look at it as a masculine thing meant for building muscle.

Many women have refrained from training with weights because of some misconceptions linked with women and weight training. If you've never given any thought to exercising with weights before, it is probably because some of the common myths about women’s weight training has stopped you.

Let’s have a look at some of these myths and discover just what the real truth is and why you shouldn't let them stop you from taking full advantage of all the benefits weight training has to offer.

One common myth that some women believe is that they are too old to train with weights. The truth is you're never too old to be capable of strengthening and toning your muscles. If you start using lighter weights and a comparatively low intensity training program you can still benefit from weight training. Past studies has proven that people as old as 80 and even 90 who recently commenced weight training saw up to a 200% gain in strength over a four week period.

Another common myth is that some women think they'll loss their flexibility if they undertake weight training. The truth here is that weight training actually helps you to become much more flexible. By exercising with weights through a full range of motion your muscles are being stretched with each repetition and also strengthened which will make them less prone to injury when doing stretching exercises.

This next myth is probably the most common by far. A lot of women think that if they do weight training they will develop big muscles and look bulky and un-feminine. But nothing can be further from the truth! The fact is, women do not have anywhere near enough of the male hormone testosterone, and testosterone is the growth hormone that is essential for producing bulky muscles. Unless women use supplemental substances like steroids and growth hormone, they will not bulk up like men. Weight training will tone up and make your body much more firm but will by no means make you look manly.

One myth that is reasonably common is that some women think that weight training is tedious and boring The truth is that weight training can be done with friends and you can have a bit of a laugh as well as help keep each other on track. If you prefer to train alone you could listen to music as you exercise and this will help motivate you. You can also mix lots of different exercises into your routine and change your routine every so often. After a few training sessions you will find that as your strength and your body are improving, you will feel a lot better about it all. When you have reached a certain goal, give yourself a reward like eating out in a nice restaurant or having a weekend holiday somewhere nice.

Now that you recognise the truth to some of the myths that has probably stopped you from enjoying the many great benefits of weight training, there's no reason for you not to make it a part of you exercise regime. Weight training should not be strictly for men only. So get up, get to the weights, and get fit for life.