Ten
Ways for Women To Progress in Weight
Training
Women
face different challenges than men
when lifting weights and doing other kinds of strength training. A
woman
I met at a summer barbecue told me she started a weight lifting program
but stopped after only a short while. When I asked her why, she
responded
that increasing weight each time she worked out was too hard --she
couldn't
do it. It hurt.
The
goal of strength training is to
get stronger and healthier and to improve your appearance. The body
must
always be challenged in any weight training routine, otherwise you will
start to see declining results. But it should never hurt. It should
never
be painful.
We
have listed several ways in which
you can increase strength by your workout. You have a number of options
from which to choose.
1.
Increase Weight
The
most common and effective way to challenge
your body is to increase the weight you are lifting. This alone will
keep
your body challenged for a good while. Each muscle is comprised of
numerous
muscle fibers, and the more weight you lift, the more muscle fibers are
recruited for the job, and the more your body gets a full workout.
When
we increase weight, we should
always be vigilant about performing the exercise with proper form. If
that
form is compromised during a weight increase, it may be that your body
is telling you it needs a different method of getting to the same
result.
Some alternative methods when we are not ready to increase weight are
described
below.
2.
Increase Repetitions
The
standard range is to perform 8-12
repetitions of a movement in one set. Do not exceed that maximum range.
There is no weight training benefit to doing more than 12 reps per set
unless you are in physical rehabilitation from an injury.
3.
Increase Number of Sets
Normally
you perform 2-3 sets per exercise.
If you’ve done two sets at the same weight, increase to three.
4.
Increase Frequency of Workouts
If
you are working out two times a week,
increase to three, if three times, then four. You should, however, not
weight train more than two days in a row unless you're training
requires
it(for instance, if your are a bodybuilder). Your muscles get stronger,
not during the workout phase, but during the rest phase.
5.
Increase Intensity of Exercise
There
are two ways to increase intensity
without increasing weight - super sets and compound sets.
-
Super sets
involve
exercising two opposing
muscle groups by following one exercise immediately with another. For
example,
do a set of dumbbell bicep curls, then, without a rest period, do a set
of standing tricep pushdowns. Rest. Repeat.
-
Compound sets
Involve
exercising the same muscle
group by attaching one exercise to another. For example, do a set of
chest
presses, then without a rest period, do a set of dumbbell chest flyes.
Rest. Repeat.
6.
Change Tempo
Slowing
down the negative (eccentric)
portion of exercise will promote more muscle development. This phase is
usually the downward portion of an exercise, when you are lowering the
weight. External resistance (usually gravity) is greater than the
tension
in your muscles. For example, during a chest press, the eccentric phase
is when you are lowering the dumbbells towards your chest.
7.
Change Position
Go
from flat, to incline, or decline.
A change in position forces you to exercise different parts of your
muscles,
helping you to achieve a more well-rounded workout.
8.
Use Resistance Bands
If
you are doing a one-armed standing
bicep curl, place a resistance band underneath your left leg, slide
your
left arm through the other end of band, gripping the dumbbell with the
same hand. Repeat with your right side. Your exercise will have added
resistance
near top of movement because of the added tension exerted by the
resistance
band. This means you challenge your muscles at both the beginning and
at
the end of the movement, allowing you to exercise more parts of your
muscles.
9.
Increase Length of Levers
Weight
held further away from your body
exerts more tension on the muscles. For instance, if you are doing
chest
flyes, instead of keeping arms bent, straighten them.
10.
Add Instability to Your Workout
For
instance, if using a bench, change
to a stability ball. If doing lunges, try them on a balance disc. If
doing
a bicep curl, try doing it while standing on one leg (the one opposite
your lifting arm). Adding instability to your exercise regimen will
force
your body to exercise your supporting muscles as well as the targeted
muscle
groups.
In
brief, by utilizing the various
methods mentioned to increase strength, you will continue to develop
muscle.
And the more muscles you develop, the more calories you burn, the
younger
you feel, the greater your appearance. See more Women's
Fitness Articles.
Author
Bios - Linda Kravitz,
is CEO of PowerFit LLC, owner of TheFitWoman.com,
a website of women's
weight training
and fitness equipment. Gordon Waddell, CSCS, is a certified
personal
trainer, who holds a B.S. with Honors in exercise physiology and is
currently
completing his Master’s degree in exercise science.
Posted
by Janet Ford.
Sunday
September 25, 2005 9:35 am
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