Women, hear this: Gain upper body muscle.
Yes, that’s right; women need to gain muscle in their upper body. When I say “frail” and “slight,” this INCLUDES overweight or chubby women!
I’ve seen plenty of heavy or full-figured women who looked extremely out-of-condition in their upper bodies, appearing to be very weak.
Being oversized doesn’t mean that you are strong! Especially once you pass the age 35 mark.
All women should exercise to gain muscle in their upper body, for many reasons.
Besides the fact that toned, worked muscles look far more attractive than under-used, weak, soft muscles, having a strong torso/shoulders/arms means a lower risk of many medical ailments, including brittle bones, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
This is because, basically, working this portion of the physique means that much more exercise that will contribute to greater health benefits.
Also, exercise in this region that brings on muscle gain will mean that your upper half’s bones will become denser and stronger: more resistant to the ravages of brittle bone disease.
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A strong, muscular upper body also means more ease with daily tasks, ranging from picking up and carrying babies, toddlers and preschoolers, garbage, luggage, loaded boxes and other such items.
Now, when I say “muscular” upper body, I don’t mean a hulking manlike body. The term “muscular” can mean a lot of things. Actress Angela Bassett has a muscular upper body, but she hardly resembles a man.
Gaining muscle in the upper body is a beautiful thing for women.
It means less dependence on men to do things for them. You’ll love being able to do things without having to hunt for a man to do it for you.
Nice muscles in your upper portion means that a woman won’t look as vulnerable or as helpless as the next woman.
The fitter a woman appears to be, the less appeal she will have to a man seeking a woman to commit a crime against. A criminal doesn’t want to work hard at his crime.
Muscle isn’t just for bodybuilding show like many people believe.
Muscle is a very crucial, important human tissue, just like bone, red blood cells and nerve tissue are.
Muscle loss, like any other kind of tissue loss, will create severe deficits in body function.
Failing to keep your upper body muscles strong will predispose you to future shoulder and back problems.
Women, hear this: Gaining upper body muscle will not make you look like a greased-up bodybuilder unless you deliberately strive for this goal, and even then, you may never achieve this look because a lot of it depends on perseverance, time commitment, strict eating habits and genetics.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained clients of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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