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Should Women Train Differently than Men For Muscle Tone?

Weightlifting is the secret weapon in the battle of fat loss. Not only does it burn calories when you do it, the muscle it stimulates burns calories while you sleep. If that is not enough, muscle also represents every desired curve women want on their bodies; a tight stomach, firm arms, firm thighs, etc. Achieving those goals is not just about removing fat; it’s about stimulating muscle.The muscle physiology of men and women is virtually identical. Yes, women have less testosterone and, on average, less muscle per pound of body weight, but the techniques to improve muscle tone, add muscle mass and increase functional strength are all identical. The best chest exercise for a man is also the best chest exercise for a woman, and so on.It seems women’s magazines are the worst offenders in this area of telling women they need to train differently. How many times have you seen a photo of a flawlessly beautiful model with a 22-inch waist holding a pink 2-pound dumbbell? That dumbbell did not give her that body. It can’t. The truth is a light weight like that will never, ever force a change in your body. You tone, shape and build a muscle by forcing it to perform exercises near the maximum limit of its ability. There is no other way.

How To Get Results In the Gym?

If you want results in the gym that will transform the look of your body you need to lift what are – for you – really heavy weights.
It’s important though that you build up to that capacity as it is usually the tendons and ligaments that need to adapt to the increased weight rather than the muscle.

Lift Heavy Weights but be smart and patient making sure that your body adapts over time to the increased weight amounts. When you visit the gym try some of your favorite exercises with a weight that is so heavy you can only perform 5 or 6 repetitions. That’s a good starting place to discover what you are really capable of and what it will take to deliver changes you can see in the mirror.

Get Out of The Mindset

If you get out of the mindset that you need to lift light weights and implement lots of repetitions because you are over 50, you will sculpt your body so much better! But be smart. Build up to the heavier weights and know that toning results come through challenging the body to lift heavier weights than what you are used to using. And women know that if you want to sculpt your body, we basically should be training the same way that educated in the gym men train – heavier weights that produce fatigue in the muscles at a low repetition range such as 5-6 reps at least once a week for increased muscle shape. And no pink dumb bells, unless of course they weigh at least 10 lbs!