A Weight Training Guide for WomenThis weight training guide is designed to assist you with developing your weight training program. Even though the public is much more knowledgeable about fitness today than in the past, it is still difficult to develop your own well-designed program unless you have considerable expertise. Plus, the "miracle products" promoted by marketers make it all the more confusing.
The Best Weight Training ProgramYour best weight training program will help lead you to your fitness or sports training goals, at least for a while. The fact is, the notion of a best weight training program is a fallacy. There are many high quality programs based upon sound training principles that are generally effective in achieving their stated goals, but each program must be adjusted for individual and gender differences.If you are a female athlete, you are fortunate if you have access a solid program that matches the demands of your sport, as well as your personal needs and position requirements. Further, if you found the best weight training program for you today, it won't be the best very soon. Your needs change as you make gains toward your goals. You will also be affected by other factors over time. This is where the 6 Training Steps give you feedback for making the right adjustments and tracking progress. The Worst Weight Training ProgramWhat if, unknowingly, you use the worst program ever (also a fallacy)? What if you believe embellished facts and sensationalized claims and expect to see results, even though a program is seriously flawed?Well, just by beginning to lift weights, you will see results because you are overloading. You'll probably feel good about your early gains, but then what? Without a weight training guide or mentor to direct you, you could experience one of these possible scenarios: 1. You spend lots of money, maybe thousands of dollars, only to end up with poor results and perhaps a monster piece of equipment that falls apart before your eyes. 2. You use improper technique and/or do not know or follow safety rules, both of which can result in injury. 3. If you follow the more is better philosophy, you overtrain. This may eventually result in depression, illness, or injury. 4. You undertrain, resulting in little or no improvement. 5. You develop muscle imbalances causing soreness, pain, and injury. 6. You improve to a point, and then hit a plateau sooner than you expected, followed by very slow improvement after that.
No matter what the outcome, you will have difficulty adhering to a weight training or exercise program for very long. Frustration could cause you to discontinue your program, preventing you from making lasting, healthy lifestyle changes.
Educate Yourself with Credible ResourcesYou may be your very best weight training guide. If you know your goals and are willing to learn some basics about fitness, you can make good choices about selecting personal trainers, coaches, equipment, facilities, and the like.There are professional resources to help you make good training choices. The American College of Sports Medicine, the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and the American Council on Exercise are professional associations that produce applied, research-based publications and advocate best practices. These organizations also certify fitness professionals who are both knowledgeable about fitness facts and have demonstrated success with fitness training, such as Certifiably Fit: The Healthy Lifestyle Approach
Consumer Reports is a good weight training guide, as is the Federal Trade Commission. They provide valuable consumer information on fitness products and services. Fitness Review Tools at this site offer tips about learning how to avoid common pitfalls and seek out quality advice. If I can assist you with developing your weight training program or offer an opinion, please feel free to contact me contact me. For general weight training topics of interest both for sports and fitness, see Tips about Exercise Order for Sports and Fitness
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