Why Women Don't Lift Weights--But Should

One more thing: Many people don't have the money to hire a trainer. In that case, ask for help with a particular move from a person who looks like they know what they are doing. As long as you don't interrupt them in the middle of a set, they will probably be thrilled to help you. I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone do something wrong and thought "I WISH they would ask me for help!".

I've tried offering before, but people get insulted. Most weight lifters have had similar experiences. So we just cringe and try to close our eyes, and wish they'd ask for instruction. - 11/17/2012 4:13:08 PM

Preach it! I'd like to add that women should also try to increase their weights as they gain strength. What you curl now should be more than what you curled a year ago. - 11/17/2012 4:09:49 PM

This article is dead-on! The best thing I ever did for myself is start lifting weights, and I was pleasantly surprised that for some reason I almost immediately dropped a few pounds of extra weight.

I think it is important to emphasize that you can lift weights without bulking up if you find the right routine. If I do traditional weight training, as in, three sets of 10-15 reps focusing on different muscle groups, I will bulk up a bit, especially in my legs. Now I'm working with a trainer where I do circuits of bodyweight and kettlebell exercises. I am both leaner and fitter and have been really pleased with my results. If traditional-style strength training doesn't get the results you want, I would recommend looking into something different instead of foregoing weight training all together. - 11/17/2012 9:19:43 AM

I love my strength training. I work out with a trainer just to be sure I push myself while maintaining good form - it's my greatest indulgence. I love how I look now, I love the challenge to push myself harder, but more than anything else I love how it has translated into the rest of my life.

things like balance - so I can hop up on a step stool and change a light without wobbling
Things like endurance - so I can wash all the windows in this house without being wiped out for the rest of the weekend
things like strength - so I can heft the bag of dog food into the trunk of the car without hurting something

I realized the other day that my strength training is going to let me live independently in my own home years longer than otherwise! Wow! - 11/17/2012 6:34:32 AM

This article hits all the right spots!

As a self-confessed cardio junkie of many years, just in recent months I've incorporated regular weight training into my routine and am feeling the benefits of it.

I have always thought (along with many other people) that keeping slim was all about cardio, cardio, cardio.... but when I saw the weight dropping off but not liking what was left behind, I thought "This can't be right". After extensive research and some very good advice from SP, I realised that I'd seriously neglected my strength in order to just focus on the cardio.

So now I'm happy to say that my workout routine is a good mix of both, and it's great - I actually look forward very much to my strength workouts now, whereas before I made half-hearted attempts at it and felt I was wasting my time. Not any more! - 11/17/2012 3:38:56 AM

lifting weights is good to get those lazy muscles working.I get so tired of the lame excuse of ' I might get bulky like a man.' .First of all a woman would have to weight train steady and take supplements and steroidsall the time.to get thes results.
- 9/13/2012 2:00:11 PM

I think as a woman, it's all about balance. Finding the balance between cardio and the right strength training is key to achieving fitness goals. I hired a personal trainer because I had gotten so far on my own that I had plateaued. The trainer taught me how to balance and how to push my body. I now combine strength and resistence training in one workout and cardio in another. I have noticed that I finally have definition in my legs and am losing the inches while the weight is going off slower, replaced by muscle. - 9/4/2012 2:14:16 PM

I think if there were more coverage of female bodybuilders explaining everything involved with how they get to that size/shape more women would know its not just from lifting some 10lb dumb-bells and would be less scared about it, I enjoy the weight training part of my exercise program! People that are nervous about looking silly can buy a video, there's plenty with female hosts, watch it through before attempting to do anything and don't fear the pause/rewind button. ( I LOVE Jillian Michaels dvd's )

fearing hurting yourself with weights is kind of strange if you're okay with other exercises,if you work-out you know that proper form can help prevent injuries ( nothing can completely stop injuries from happening ) Sure it will make you sore at first, but it gets better, then easier ( til you go up in weights and start the process over again) knowing the difference between pain and soreness is pretty critical, SP if there's not an article explaining the difference please get one out there!

I'm surprised this article didn't mention how key muscle strength is for older women. Stronger muscles protect the body. women are more likely to have bone strength issues as they grow older, this can make weight training harder, its important to start as young as you can, but its never too late to start. - 9/4/2012 10:58:42 AM

I don't know that I'm convinced. I know my body, and when I do strength training I definitely bulk up. So maybe for someone who doesn't have the genetic predisposition its a good idea, but for me, its never given the results I'm looking for. - 9/4/2012 10:54:47 AM

I love lifting weights and I learned about weight lifting when I was about 18 or 19(about 35 years ago). That was a class that I took in college. I learned how to lift and understood that I would not bulk up and so weights are my friends and they are heavy friends :) I love the cut you get when lifting and now that I am back in the swing of things, I really enjoy how my shoulders are starting to look now that I am doing major shoulder work. BTW I am sore since I have switched up my routine a bit. - 9/4/2012 10:51:16 AM

Hiring a personal trainer for a few sessions made all the difference for me. He showed me how to use all the machines and how to do exercises doing dumbbells. Yes, it was expensive, but now I'm comfortable and weight training has become an important part of my exercise routine. Having my trainer beside me when I first started helped me to feel comfortable in the gym and now I have no qualms about going alone.

I also feel that the results you see when you do weight training are apparent much more quickly than with other types of workouts. I started running about three months before I started weight training. My weight was dropping, but no one seemed to notice. People starting making comments within a couple weeks of me starting weight training. The change in my appearance isn't dramatic, but I just look smaller and firmer. - 9/4/2012 9:31:07 AM

I got turned onto weights waaay back in the '80's when I discovered The Firm original Anna Benson workouts. Tough but oh so effective (and why workout if you're not getting results?). Weight-training has been a part of my life ever since and I find that the heavier I go in poundage, the leaner I get. I never have understood women's fear of weights. Weight-training leads to a beautiful body. - 9/4/2012 6:12:46 AM