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Women and weight training
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Lean muscle need not necessarily mean huge ones, point out physical trainers
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Mission fitness Get a combination of weight training, cardiovascular exercise and diet
Anyone with a working knowledge of fitness issues is aware that weight training, cardiovascular training and proper eating are the keys to good health. But what about women and weight training? “If a woman lift weights, won’t it result in the development of large, masculine muscles?” you may wonder.
Science puts such fears to rest saying that the female body does not produce enough testosterone, the male androgenic/anabolic hormone, to build big muscles.
Body composition
According to Robert Keith, Ph.D., RD, FACSM, professor of nutrition and food science at Auburn University (Auburn, Alabama) the resting metabolic rate of anyone, man or woman, depends on body composition. A person who trains with weights carries more lean muscle and burns more calories than the one who does not. But, lean muscle need not necessarily mean huge ones.
Says researcher Heidi Paa of Nebraska University, “A woman can gain about 80 per cent the strength of a man while gaining less than a tenth of his size.” Hard training strengthens and tightens the physique even as the lean muscle gained produces the much-sought after toned look.
International Sports Sciences Association, a premier institution that certifies the best physical trainers in the world, includes weight training in its curriculum to help combat osteoporosis and age-related disorders.
Combining exercises that work the hips, legs and associated areas, with ample work for the upper body, fights this problem, say studies.
Former Mr. Olympia, Larry Scott of Biophase Systems, who has millions of clients the world over, says that weight training impacts the body from a variety of angles. So, there is minimum wear and tear of joints as they are not pounded in the same manner for years. This variety makes the weight room the king of rehabilitation centres.
Women with certain medical conditions and those who are pregnant can also benefit from workouts. However, they should avoid certain movements and restrict the amount of weights used. The expertise of a top trainer and a well-informed doctor are required in such cases.
C. LAKSHMI KUMAR
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