Female Resistance
Training Nutrition

Female resistance training nutrition is an important women's health issue.

The exercises involved in weight lifting for women are clearly explained by many trainers. But what about the nutritional needs of women who work out?

Female resistance training nutrition requirements include the need for additional water, protein, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and omega-3 healthy fats.

Exercise makes you sweat and your body fluids need to be replaced. You may not need high carb drinks however. Water is usually enough, unless you feel low on energy. If you consume sugary carbohydrate rich drinks your body will burn those carbs instead of body fat. Stick with good ole "low carb" water as part of your female resistance training nutrition plan.

Protein is important to help convert the fat into muscle. For many years, Peter Lemon of Kent State University in Ohio has been doing research on the protein needs of athletes. His findings support what many people already believe and practice, that athletes doing resistance training should consume more protein than the less active person should.

The needs in female resistance training nutrition are no different. Women need protein too. You are probably not trying to make your body look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Don't worry about that. Just work out two or three times a week and turn your flab into to firm and toned muscle.

That is how you get tight abs. Under the loose, soft extra skin of every tummy are the ab muscles. When you use diet and exercise to trim fat and firm up those ab muscles, you see the smooth muscle start to show.

The amount of protein you need may vary by your body size and weight. Some people replace breakfast with a protein shake. They have chicken for lunch or dinner, then have another protein shake as a snack after exercise.

Not all protein is created equal. Chicken breast is more heart-healthy than red meat. Try to fit chicken into your diet whenever you can. Many people make it a rule to eat some kind of chicken dish at lunch every day.

When it comes to protein powders, we like whey protein the best. Some brands we believe offer good quality products include Optimum, Whey To Go and also Bioplex Nutrition. The Bioplex company also makes a pure WPI product. The letters WPI stand for whey protein isolate. The pure isolate is about the best protein you can use. It costs a bit more but is very easy to mix, to drink and to digest. You can actually just stir it into some orange juice and drink it. Many protein powders make that claim, but this one actually lives up to the claim.

Don't be fooled into using cheap protein powders that may contain cheap ingredients. In that case it is a waste of money so the bargain is not really a good deal. You need the real thing for your female resistance training nutrition program.

Should you drink some of those protein mixes that have vitamins included? You could but we recommend you just use plain protein and take your vitamins in a measured daily multi-vitamin and mineral supplement. That way you get the exact same levels of nutritional supplements each day, even if you skip a shake. This keeps the vitamin and mineral levels in your female resistance training nutrition consistent from day to day.

If you do use the protein powders with some vitamins included you will want to cut back on your daily vitamins so you don't consume more vitamins and minerals than you had planned.

The truth about protein bars. Read the label of your favorite protein bar. Does the list of ingredients say gelatin or hydrolyzed collagen or maybe hydrolyzed gelatin? If so, you are not getting complete protein. If the label says 20 grams of protein, how much is usable protein and how much is gelatin or collagen? Real protein has essential amino acids that make them complete. Gelatin and collagen do not because they are made from scary stuff such as bones, pigs feet and cattle hide. Yummy, huh?

In the area of female resistance training nutrition, gelatin might help your fingernails grow strong, but it is not complete protein available to your body to help change fat to muscle. These bars cost a lot so you should get real, usable whey protein or soy protein for your money. Read the labels carefully.

Don't worry about how much you weigh. Muscle weighs more than fat. So if you lose a pound of fat and turn it into a pound of toned muscle you won't see the weight on the scale go down.

Don't look at the scale, look at the mirror. You are looking more firm and fit every week! In female resistance training nutrition, the result is how you look and feel, not the numbers on the scale.

Last but not least, are you taking some super-high-quality women's supplements every day? When you are in training, and trying to be the best, your body needs the best nutritional supplements. Don't work it hard and then starve it for the nutrients it demands. Feed it some premium fuel.















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The statements herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate or prevent any disease. All information here is intended for general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician before starting any new supplement, diet or fitness regimen.