What comes to your mind when you think of weight lifting? Ripped muscled men lifting barbells and other heavy equipment, of course. The vision conjured is of gym rats waging a contest over who does more repetitions of the heaviest weights. Weight lifting has now become a sign of superiority and machismo more than being an exercise regimen. It has become a man's world that woman who venture into it are seen as, well, manly, discouraging many other females from this kind of regimen.

But the truth of the matter is that weight lifting does not necessarily mean heavy lifting. Lifting light weights is also possible, and in fact, is what is recommended for those who would like to receive the benefits of resistance training through the use of weights. For those seeking to develop muscle strength and endurance, lifting light weights with more repetitions is a better training method overall. It offers many benefits compared to using heavy poundage resistance equipment.

One of the foremost benefits of using dumbbells that are obviously lesser in poundage compared to barbells is safety. Face it, most men use weight lifting as a way to display strength, which, most of the time they haven't developed yet. Research has shown that many individuals who were too eager to show off their superiority (and stupidity) have landed in the hospitals for dropping weights on their head, neck, shoulders or chest. By lifting lighter weights, overexertion is reduced and even the chances of dropping the free weight is lessened because they are easier to grip. Another benefit of lifting light weights is that it allows you to incorporate weight training into a fast-paced interval training routine. You can include 20 repetitions of regular resistance training into your boot camp workouts to develop strength and endurance. Similar to the effect of lifting heavy weights, carrying lighter poundage can also cause the formation of lean muscles in your body. This might not be the same as the bulky muscles formed using barbells, but more lean muscles mean an increased metabolism. With a faster metabolism, there is an increased calorie-burn and of course, corresponding weight loss. Finally, even if lighter weights do not give you he-man muscles, lifting lighter free weights will still increase muscle size. The point is to do more deliberate repetitions of each exercise. For women, resistance training using dumbbells paves the way for toning muscles for a shapelier figure. Many women fear that they might develop bulky muscles if they lift heavy weights. While this is not really possible unless done often enough with really heavy poundage, using three our five-pound dumbbells does make it easier to deal with the mental aspect of actually beginning to lift weights. That is, resistance training is as much a woman's exercise regimen as it is a man's.

There are many benefits of lifting lighter weights. It makes for a safer workout without sacrificing the many immense health benefits it offers such as increased body metabolism, developing lean muscle tone and increasing strength and endurance. It works for those on the road to weight loss or for those simply seeking to engage in a resistance training program.