It wasn't long ago that women were thought to be too fragile to compete. Today, more women are exercising than ever before, engaging in strenuous recreational and competitive physical activities that have previously been acceptable to men only. Althought there are some important differences between teh sexes in size, strength, and other aspects of physiology, both men and women show expected improvements in physical fitness through regular training. An integral part of the fitness equation is strength training.

Women are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that lifting weights provides them with a sleek, toned look instead of the muscle-bound physic of a body builder. Women, by nature, do not develop large muscles. This is because we do not produce enough male hormone, testosterone, to develop that type of musculature. It's extremely difficult for women to build big muscles. In order to make muscles grow to a size that looks bulky, most women would have to train between five and six times per week, they'd have to consume close to 4,000 calories each day, and they'd probably have to take nutritional supplements too.

When females perform resistance training, several important physiological changes occur:

1. Metabolism increases. Muscle maintenance requires more fuel to than fat does; therefore the metabolic furnace is fired up.

2. The density of the skeletal bones increases. Weight bearing exercise builds sturdier bones. This is of particular importance to women who may be prone to osteoporosis due to decreasing estrogen levels during menopause or a genetic predisposition. Young women need to be cautioned that excess aerobic training can reduce the mineralization of bones, thus increasing risk for osteoporosis.

3. Strength training develops stronger ligaments and tendons. These joint supports tend to weaken as we age. Strength training allows for continued enjoyment of the activities you love throughout all the stages of life

4. Unless regular muscular stimulation is performed, our muscles gradually decrease in size and strength (atrophy). Without training, humans lose more than ½ pounds of muscle every year after age 25! Resistance training helps to develop bone mass and generates the round shape of the muscles within the body, giving your clothes something to hang from. It gives women stamina and physical power to do the things that we need to do in our daily lives. Simple things like carrying the groceries up a flight of stairs without gasping for air or picking up your child without putting your back out.

Also, remember this: fat takes up five times as much space as muscle. This means if you replaced the fat on your legs with the same weight in muscle, your thighs get smaller, without losing a pound. Women (and men) worried about "bulking up" with weights need to understand this. It's your body composition that determines how you look. By replacing fat with muscle, you can make an astounding transformation without losing a lot of bodyweight. Women should actually be concerned about not having enough muscle, rather than having too much.

All of these are great reasons for buying some dumbbells and getting off the couch. The bottom line is, any woman who is interested in losing fat, gaining strength, increasing muscle tone, and transforming her physique should be weight training.