5 Reasons Women Should Lift Weights

There used to be a belief that women should not lift weights. The thought was women would lose the feminine look when they got "muscled up" and bulky. And yes, if you are a female bodybuilder on supplements and steroids, you won't look much different from the men who practice the same weightlifting ideals. But for most women, you are really not likely to get very bulky from lifting weights, as you don't have the same amount of testosterone as men do.

In fact, you really should be lifting weights as a woman, and here are 5 really good reasons why.

1. You'll Burn More Fat

A Penn State study showed what several
other research papers and number crunching fitness experts have revealed. Weight training burns 30% to 40% more fat than diet or aerobic exercise. The Penn State researchers formed 3 groups of dieters:

• Those who did not exercise at all

• Dieters who exercised aerobically

• Those dieters that lifted weights as well as doing aerobic exercise

Across-the-board, an average of 21 pounds was lost by all of the dieters. However, the weightlifting women lost almost pure fat! The dieters who did not exercise, and those that only enjoyed aerobic exercise, saw 25% of their weight loss coming from muscle. Not good.

2. You Will Build Stronger Bones

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Weight resistance training for 12 to 18 weeks delivers bone growth of 15% to 20%. Strength training with weights over time on a consistent basis makes your bones stronger and healthier. This is especially important for women, who suffer a naturally greater tendency for weaker bones and poorer bone density as they age.

3. You Can Wear More Complementary Clothing

We have already seen that weight training is an awesome fat burner. Between the ages of 30 and 50 women lose 10% to 20% of their muscle naturally. Your body weight usually goes up during this time, in the form of fat gain. A consistent weightlifting regimen helps you regulate a healthy waist size, keeping embarrassing fat deposits from limiting your clothing choices.

4. You Will Adopt a More Nutritious Diet

For any number of reasons, it appears that women who work out with weights frequently often improve their diet as well. It just makes sense. When you see and feel yourself becoming stronger, looking sexier and burning fat, you want to keep the process going. Not only does your body burn more calories as a result of a weight training program, but you mentally find it much easier to stick to a nutritious diet when you like the way you look in the mirror.

5. You Will Be More Successful, Productive and Happy

When women lift weights as a part of a healthy lifestyle, they can see the results in the mirror. This makes them feel good about themselves, and exercise even triggers the release of "feel good" chemicals in your brain. As a result of looking and feeling great, you begin to fuel your body with healthy food as opposed to fast food, sugary sweets and processed garbage. All of these steps combine to make you more productive because you are filled with so much natural energy. This leads to success in all areas of your life, and what woman wouldn't be happy with that outcome?

Should You Take a Fat-Burning Supplement?

Some studies have shown that certain supplements actually do work to help burn fat for women, along with regular exercise. Some of the studies are done by universities and some are done by the companies themselves, so do your due diligence to be sure of what you are taking. Some people enjoy supplements with caffeine but others cannot deal with it. So read all ingredients before you try - check with your doctor first.

Here are some of the supplements in question.

1. Green Tea – This is a long known supplement addition or a diet addition that you can enjoy on its own. Green tea has been enjoyed for ages by people who realize that it can help with lowering BMI and increasing calorie metabolism.

2. Calcium – Some studies show that it’s possible that a calcium supplement can aid in weight loss for some women. However, it is important not to overdo the calcium supplementation because scientists still aren’t sure whether ingesting too much calcium is harmful or not. If you already eat a high amount of calcium in your diet, it’s important to consider that, and always remember to take magnesium as well, as they work together for bone strength.

3. Vitamin D – The best way to get vitamin D is actually naturally via the sun, but so many of us use sunscreen that vitamin D deficiencies are quite common. A deficiency can contribute to obesity and even back and other body pains. Have your levels checked by your doctor. If your levels are low, find a good quality supplement like this one from Metagenics.

4. Vitamin B12 – Whether you’re a meat eater or a vegan or someplace in between, another chronic deficiency today is vitamin B12. Being short of this vitamin is very serious and can lead to mental problems and weight issues. Unless you ask for your levels to be checked, your doctor may not do a test. Have it checked and if you have a shortage, consider using the sublingual methylcobalamin version over the cobalamin type due to arsenic issues.

5. Antioxidants – You can take supplements that contain antioxidants or just eat food with antioxidants. These help ward off free radicals which can cause your body to be unbalanced. You can find antioxidants in fruits and vegetables too.

6. Caffeine – Even though it’s not the healthiest supplement for most people, it does actually aid in weight loss. It boosts your metabolism and gives you extra energy. But, you should use it with caution because it is addictive. The effects wear off and you need more and more of the supplement to get the same results.

7. Resveratrol – This is found in red wine, dark red and purple berries and now available in supplement form. Many people who have taken it say that it reacts on their body a lot like caffeine. Others report more motivation to get more done in the day. It’s worth trying one of the new resveratrol supplements.

8. SHREDZ for Her – This is a supplier that purports to help women boost their fat burning by giving your body some of the vitamins, antioxidants and minerals that it needs. It claims to break down carbohydrates and help make your workouts more efficient. This supplement has most of the above ingredients included.

Use any supplements with caution. Consider talking to a doctor first, or at least inform them before they prescribe any medications. Definitely ask your doctor if you are already being prescribed any medications.