Ask the Trainer: benefits of weight training for women
Strength training provides numerous health benefits, especially for women. Those who lift weights regularly function better in daily activities, have a decreased risk of osteoporosis, better posture, and burn fat more effectively than those who don’t. Strength training can also help to shape the body and contribute to improved confidence and body image. This Get Your Rear in Gear reader would like to balance out her petite figure and asks one of our trainers, Kris Wayne, how to balance her workout program to look her best.
Get Your Rear in Gear reader: I am 21 years old and about 115 pounds. I like to exercise and I have a great tummy and legs, but when I tone I tend to loose my chest. I’m lucky to always have been a petite female, but I really stress about looking too thin. Do you have any suggestions as to what I could do to fill in?
Kris Wayne: This is a great question. Breast tissue is primarily fat, so when you lose weight, that area will get smaller. If you would like to “fill out” that area try to develop the pectoralis muscle in the chest area. Add pushups or use free weights to do chest exercises such as the “fly”. If you belong to a gym, the weight room will also have a chest press machine and pec fly machine. Just be aware that it takes a great deal more effort to build muscle than it does to lose fat. This means you must be prepared to be both persistent and patient. The rule of thumb is that lighter weights and high repetitions will build endurance, but if you want to increase muscle mass, you can use heavier weights and fewer repetitions to actually develop more lean mass. Good luck!
Kris Wayne is the Generations Fitness Specialist for the Metropolitan Minneapolis YMCA. Kris is a certified presenter and fitness instructor through the American Council on Exercise and is a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer.
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