Tag Archives: Women and Weights

5 Good Reasons Why Women Should Be Lifting Weights

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1. It beats aerobic training hands down for fat loss

Studies show, even when they were performed at the same intensity (ie, the same amount of oxygen was consumed), weight training had a greater effect on the metabolism, and burned more calories for hours after wards. This is because, when you lift weights, you are not only using a lot more of the muscle at a greater intensity, but also building new muscle. And, of course, the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn.

2. It will make you stronger and fitter

I am often amazed at people who can run for miles but can barely pick up a heavy bag. That’s because aerobic activity (like running and step classes) burns a lot of calories but doesn’t build muscle, so you’re actually getting weaker. Research shows, women who lifted weights performed best in tests of strength and power. The aerobically trained group did worst. So, for real fitness benefits, do both.

3. It strengthens bones

Intensity is everything. It’s better to do between three and weight reps with a heavier weight than 20 with a light one. Do it with enough weight and you can significantly increase your bone mass. The exercises best suited to this are those that make the body work harder, such as squats and lunges using weights. This provides valuable protection against osteoporosis, which affects one woman in three over the age of 50.

4. It improves your mood, confidence and well-being

Countless studies are showing that not only can weight training improve your body, but it can also make a real difference to your state of mind. Lifting weights develops confidence, and has been shown in some cases to be as effective as drug therapy in improving depression and anxiety. Interestingly, in research done by Professor Maria Fiatarone in Australia, this was particularly the case when subjects lifted heavier weights.

5. It helps prevent illness and aids recovery

One study found that women who had breast cancer surgery had greater strength and less fatigue after resistance training. It also helps with diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, MS, arthritis and many more conditions that can severely affect the quality of life. Just remember to get clearance from your doctor before starting any exercise.

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Symmetrical Bodies Are More Attractive To The Opposite Sex

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Scientists using hi-tech body scanners have discovered that people with more symmetrical bodies are more attractive to the opposite sex.

The research backs up previous findings that symmetrically proportioned faces are more attractive and suggests that our brains are hard-wired to find symmetry sexy in a potential partner. In our evolutionary past, symmetry may have been an honest signal of flawless development and health.

“It is widely believed that human beings are attracted to one another as a result of genotype and phenotype quality – in other words, their prospect as a mate who will yield higher quality offspring for the chooser,” said Dr William Brown, an evolutionary psychologist at Brunel University who led the study.

“Your body proportions, shape and stature are signals that conspicuously advertise your good development or health and therefore the degree to which you are a desirable reproductive partner. In many species fewer departures from perfect symmetry are associated with good development, health and reproductive success.”

The theory is that disturbances in the womb, infections, poor nutrition and genetic flaws all increase your degree of asymmetry and so good proportions are an honest indication of healthy development and hence a partner’s ability to produce healthy children.

Brown’s team asked 40 men and 37 women to strip down to their underwear and enter a 24-camera body scanner. The device rapidly takes hundreds of measurements of the subject’s body allowing the researchers to build up a 3D image. They also calculated a composite measure of symmetry from the hundreds of minute symmetry differences recorded by the cameras.

The team showed each of these images to 87 evaluators who rated them for attractiveness. The researchers were particularly interested in how body asymmetry would affect the ratings, so to avoid adding another factor to the evaluators’ decision, the team presented each image with the head of the subject removed.

The evaluators preferred more symmetrical body shapes in both men and women. “They are choosing individuals who would have evidence for good development which means that maybe their offspring would be more healthy and have good development as well,” said Brown.

The results are reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Exercises for Great Looking Legs & Glutes

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Several muscles make up the legs, but the four main muscles of the thighs are the quadriceps (quads, tops of thighs), bicep femoris (hamstrings, back of thighs), abductors (outer thighs) and adductors (inner thighs). The gastrocnemius and soleus muscles form the calf muscles. The buttocks’ largest muscle is the gluteus maximus (glutes). There’s no better way to shape these muscles than tried and true, basic exercises.

Squats

Most fitness experts and bodybuilders agree there is no better lower body exercise than squats. Squats work the quads, glutes and adductors.

Lunges

Intense stress is placed on all the muscles of the thighs and glutes of the working leg. The length of the lunge determines contraction in the thigh and hip. With a longer lunge, more emphasis is on the glute muscle.

Deadlifts

The Deadlift is a compound exercise targeting several muscle groups including the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, erector spinae, gluteals, hamstrings, quadriceps, and psoas (hip flexors). Your forearm muscles, which are involved in gripping the bar, are used to a lesser degree, as well as muscles involved in trunk stabilization such as your obliques.

Calf Raises

Calf Raises work the muscles of the calves, one of the densest muscles in the body and the most difficult to develop. Although genetics play a strong role in calf size, calf raises can stimulate and encourage muscle growth and definition.

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