Step 6: Why use weights?

Weight training doesn't just make your muscles stronger; it also works on your tendons, ligaments, and bones. It has a variety of benefits, including:

• Making your joints stronger -- allowing the joints to withstand more weight or stress when, for example, you exercise more vigorously
• Helping prevent osteoporosis by increasing bone mass
• Promoting weight loss by adding muscle mass and losing fat

Watch an animation about skeletal muscle . Need Shockwave ?

Weight training makes your muscles stronger through a series of breakdown and rebuilding. When you force your muscles to lift more weight than usual, your muscle fibers literally tear. During the 1 - 3 days afterwards, your body repairs these microscopic tears, in part by adding more muscle tissue to the fibers. This process increases muscle mass and strength; it also strengthens tendons, ligaments, and bone.

Many people (especially women) fear that lifting weights will make them "bulky" or look like a body-builder. In general, using lighter weights and doing more repetitions ensures strength and toning without building bulk.

Because it takes a few days for your muscles to "recover" from weight training, wait at least 2 days before you attempt to use weights to train the same muscles. Fitness professionals often recommend training the upper body (arms, shoulders, and chest) and lower body (back, legs, abdomen) on alternate days.

Exercise both your upper and lower body with weights to get the maximum benefit

Who should lift weights?

Just about everyone can benefit from moderate weight training, especially people who are at risk for osteoporosis. Women who do not regularly do weight-bearing exercise against the resistance of gravity may benefit in particular. (Non-exercisers, swimmers, and cyclists: This means you!)

Since your individual circumstances dictate what you need from a weight-training program, consult a fitness professional to help you develop a specific set of exercises.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.