Build Muscles/Increase Strength

  Women need muscle as much as men do

If your fitness goal isn’t to lose weight you’ve come to the right place, although it’s very likely that a strength training program will result in lost inches, a more toned appearance and dropped pounds for those who build up enough calorie burning muscle.

Benefits of strength training:

• Stronger tendons and ligaments - These vital tissues support our joints and reduce the risk of injury during everyday activities.
• Increased bone density - A reduced risk of osteoporosis is never a bad thing.
• Day-to-day activities made easy - Pushing, pulling, lifting - whatever tasks you’re normally involved in will become a breeze.
• Increased metabolism - Muscle burns calories and having more of it means having a higher metabolism. Putting on muscle now will mean losing fat in the long run.
• Improved flexibility - If you choose strength training methods that allow you to use a wide range of motion you can become more flexible.

The fact that you’re here demonstrates you’ve begun to question the long-held notion that women should stick to diet and cardiovascular exercise rather than strength training, or they’ll risk transforming into muscle-bound hulks. These female muscle myths do us all a disservice. There’s no better way to become stronger and look and feel better than with strength training.

Typical body types:

• Mesomorph - People with this body type tend to be more muscular, and can gain new muscle easily.
• Endomorph - Most women fit into this voluptuous category. They can build muscle but must often lose excess body fat in order to see it.
• Ectomorph - These naturally slim women may have a harder time building muscle or sometimes even gaining weight.
  

No matter what body type category you fall into, you can make positive changes. With strength training ectomorphs won’t have to resign themselves to being “stick thin”, endomorphs can beat the bulge and mesomorphs can keep their hard bodies without becoming overly muscled.

Our bodies are constantly changing, so even if you’re one of the few (and I stress few) women who find they gain more muscle than planned, you can easily alter your routine to keep your goals in check.