Fitness WAHM

Why Women Should Add Bodybuilding to Their Exercise Routines

While men engage in bodybuilding to strengthen and increase muscle mass, women seek to shape and tone their bodies using particular exercise routines.  Also, the notion that you will become a female version of the “Incredible Hulk” is a myth.

The areas of concern for some women may be the legs, chest, back, abdominal area, shoulders, or forearms.  In addition, weights can be used to enhance the effects of resistance training as well.

Here are some recommendations from women who have trained in bodybuilding:

* Learn the proper technique from a professional or gym instructor.
* A 30-45 minute workout is recommended.
* Exercises beginning with the lower body, middle, and upper body are advisable.
* Sets of up to 12 repetitions repeated three times, with rests in between each set.
* Two days a week of strength training.
* Begin slowly with weights or bands.
* Add resistance training to your routine.
* Stretching before and after exercising.
* Let your body tell you when you’re tired or in pain, then stop.
* A good routine leaves your muscles burning and tired at the end of a routine.
* Include a proper diet regimen.
* Get plenty of rest.
* Workout is preferable in the morning or afternoon.

There are those who contend that while you can burn fat using weights, it is a slow process.  They also believe that while using weights during lower body workouts does contribute to burning fat, the fact is you would have to do an entire routine such as using a circuit of exercise equipment in order to achieve the effect.   Therefore, they strongly suggest exercising the entire body for maximum results, such as: walking, jogging, or cardiovascular routines.

Women who are in the sport of bodybuilding develop high definition and muscles through increased workouts along with supplementation.   For most women today, however, who simply wish to shape and tone their bodies, the above recommendations will sufficiently achieve your goals.

Creating & Sticking to an Exercise Routine

Getting in shape isn’t always easy. Part of the problem is getting started and sticking to an exercise program.  Many people find working out boring and just lose interest, especially if they don’t see quick results.  The simplest way to stick to an exercise routine is to find something you enjoy doing.  By looking at your daily schedule, and the family’s schedule, you can see when it would be best for you to exercise.  It might even be necessary to split up your workout and do smaller amounts of time throughout the day.

But, before you decide when you are going to exercise, you need to decide what kind you want to do.  That will also affect how much time is needed. If you are planning to run, you’ll need to incorporate time for warming up and cooling down.  If you want to take a class, you need to see if their offered times fit into your schedule.

Check out all the different styles of exercise out there, from running, aerobics, joining a sports team, to a martial arts school or health club.  See if different classes offer a one time free trial class, to see if you enjoy that form of exercise.  Just be sure to take it easy and not try to keep up with the class. More than likely, they’ve been doing it for a while and can do more.  If you try to do too much, you will probably be sore the next day and decide to never go back, even if you enjoyed it.

If you sign up for a class, the fact that you are paying for it will help motivate you to go back and get your money’s worth.  It also makes it more enjoyable, as you are with other people.  The instructor can help you to get the most out of the class.  By having the company of others, you can help keep each other accountable to keep going.

Some people do not feel comfortable working out with a group of people, possibly because they are self-conscious.  However, working out alone is harder to stay motivated.  Work out videos may be a good choice. Many of them are set up to be adaptable to your schedule, with some having twenty, thirty or sixty-minute workouts.

In order to stay on track, make yourself a chart that can be hung where it can be seen everyday.  Mark on it all the days and times you plan to exercise.  As you complete a session, mark it off.  Make special goals along the way.  Say you complete one full week without missing a session, you give yourself a special treat.