Wednesday, December 31, 2003

Women and strength training — myths and facts

Women and strength training? Absolutely!

Only a decade ago most exercise prescriptions for women typically consisted of cardiovascular conditioning and flexibility training. Little emphasis was placed on strength training. Today there are a number of reasons why women should strength train so lets separate the myths from the facts:

• “Strength training will make my muscels large and bulky.” Strength training will result in a small increase of total muscle mass for women. Due to the low levels of testosterone in women, large increases in muscle size will not happen. Due to genetics and individual differences, some women will have an increase in muscle mass more than others but no where near the muscle size increases observed in men.

• “Strength training is not as important as cardiovascular conditioning in my workouts.” Strength training is extremely important and needs to be added to most women’s workout programs. Strength training has a great metabolic effect on the body which is essential to positive weight loss.

• “I don’t need to lose weight but just want to tone up.” Most women have a desire to “tone” their physiques. Strength training increases the muscle size which balances the “lean muscle mass to body fat” ratio which is initially what that “toning” effect is. Proper nutrition, cardiovascular conditioning and strength training are the three essential elements necessary to obtain that "toning" effect.

• “Older women should not participate in strength training exercises.” Approximately 30 million women 50 and older are diagnosed with osteoporosis or low bone mass each year. Strength training increases bone density which could drastically decrease the risk of osteoporosis. Older women must participate in activities designed to specifically strengthen all muscle groups to maintain maximum health and a good quality of life. Other benefits include decreased risk of falls, sustained indepedence and the decrease risk of insulin resistance.

• “What about strength training and breast cancer?” Recent findings has shown that strength training could reduce the risk of breast cancer in some women. Studies show that women who strength-train usually have decreased levels of estrogen, whereas women with high levels of estrogen usually are more at risk of developing breast cancer.

• ”Women should only use weight machines and perform exercises at low impact.” There is a misconception that if women use free weights or perform exercises that involve intense moves, their risk for injury is greater. There is absolutely no evidence of increased injuries based on gender. If both women and men are taught the proper mechanics of  strength training, the risk of injury is reduced for both. This is where Certified Personal Trainers can play a major role in educating individuals with proper form and techniques.

Taking into account the fact that strength training is a great stress reliever and an excellent esteem booster — and since we have now also separated the facts from the myths — let’s say, “Yes!” to strength training.

This information will help many women overcome their concerns of strength training and move forward to improving their health.

For more information, call 770-716-9098 or 404-354-1904.

— Marsha Washington

Bodyz Forever