Why Women Should Train with Heavy Weights

Though the sport of weight lifting has enjoyed the participation of more and more women over the past couple of decades, many women still overlook it as a possibility when designing their exercise program. This is especially true when referring to heavy weights as opposed to extremely light, "girlie" weights, say, 2 or 5 pounds.

Frankly, I'm not sure exactly what you're supposed to do with a 2-pound dumbbell.

That's not to disparage women who enjoy exercise programs that use light weights. I simply prefer heavier weights myself, and here is why:

A fit body is a beautiful body. It's as simple as that. Many women seek to reshape their bodies by losing weight, but they stop there. Or they create beautiful legs for themselves in the gym, but ignore the top half of their bodies which, to me, makes them look as though someone has joined together the leftover halves of two people. I work my arms and shoulders as well as my legs and get tons of comments about how beautiful they are. People notice, believe me.

Weightlifting is a body-sculpting technique, so you never have to fear it is going to get away from you and leave you looking like She Hulk. If you wanted a body like that it would take at least half a day in the gym each and every day and a strict regimen of protein intake that would make you weep. The guys and girls who are professional weightlifters and power lifters have a huge build because that is what the judges want. Everything on their bodies was put there on purpose.

This means that you are in control of how your body responds to your time in the gym. If your arms do manage to get bigger than you like, you can shrink them by cutting back on certain exercises. If you want a bigger butt, girlfriend, you can make that dream come true. Just increase the size of that particular set of muscles. And if a six-pack abdomen is what you've always wanted, weight-lifting is the way to get one.

Of course, beauty and ultimate control of your body's shape aside are valid reasons for working out with weights, but let's not forget the most obvious one: Strength. Working out with weights will make you stronger. You will notice this when carrying groceries to your car or hoisting your child up on your hip. These daily activties will become easier. And if you happen to be a welder or a construction worker, you will see improvement on the job as well. Training those abs and back muscles will also make delivering children a lot easier as well. Imagine trying to run a 26-mile marathon without training first. That is how a lot of women approach having babies. No wonder labor is so laborious. Consider lifting weights and getting those core muscles into shape marathon training for having babies.

But lifting weights doesn't just make your muscles stronger - it will make your bones stronger. Every time you do a squat or a bicep curl, your bones are in the fight just as much as your muscles. Lifting weights will make your bones denser and much less prone to osteoporosis.

Of course, lifting weights also has the same benefits as other forms of exercise. It can elevate your mood, give you a meditative experience, improve your concentration and be a wonderful point of conversation with other people who enjoy exercise programs.

If you are a woman who enjoys exercising or who is in search of activities for a new exercise program. consider exploring weightlifting as an option. You'll be surprised how good you can look and feel.