When most of us were growing up a strength-conditioning program for a "lady" was unheard of. There have been very few women "muscle builders" in recent years and most women are not at all interested in getting big muscles.

The opposite is true. They are concerned that they will "bulk up" and lose their feminine appearance. Not to worry. Women don't get big muscles unless they take male hormones and work out for several hours each day. The right kind of strength training tones and sculpts the body, enhancing the feminine appearance.

Today we know that the most important physical activity for women in their 40s and above is sensible strength training. Progressive resistance exercise is clearly the best means for maintaining muscle mass and bone density during the midlife years, and is especially significant for post-menopausal women who are at high risk for osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis affects 20 million women in America and annually there are 1.3 million bone fractures related to osteoporosis including three hundred thousand hip fractures.

Wayne Westcott, Ph. D., fitness consultant and author advises us that, "Women need to recognize that they lose over 6 pounds of muscle tissue in every decade of adult life. Yet our research shows that women can replace over 3 pounds of muscle after only eight weeks of regular strength exercise."

If you are carrying a few surplus pounds and are interested in losing weight strength training can speed you toward your goal. Each pound of lean muscle burns up to 50 calories per day, a total of 1,500 in a month. In just a few weeks you can add 3 pounds of lean muscle tissue. This will rev up your metabolism to the tune of more than 3,500 calories in a month! This restored muscle burn off 10 pounds of body fat in a year (even while you are sleeping) and still give you room for a few special treats.