Weight lifting can be a woman's best friend. While men have long enjoyed the benefits of strength training, women have tended to shy away from the activity, fearing the body builder look. Fear no more, ladies. Incorporating weight lifting into your workout routine provides important benefits necessary to a woman's overall health.

Once you've consulted your doctor and received the okay to participate in an exercise program, you will find that weight lifting will help you achieve your fitness goals and shape your body in a way that cardio alone never could. Participating in countless hours of sweat and calorie deprivation isn't going to transform your physique. It requires an effective strength training regimen to tighten and tone.

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When most people think of weight lifting, we often picture larger than life muscles and impossibly heavy barbells. But weight lifting does not necessarily translate into large muscles. The beauty of strength training is that it can be tailored to an individual's goals.