SHOULD WOMEN LIFTS WEIGHTS?
HELL YES!
Long gone (we hope) are the days where it was believed females are feeble, weak & need to be handled with kid gloves, that strength training is just for the boys and women should only head for the treadmill.
Females in fact benefit MORE long term from weight training than males due to the dramatic life stages their body goes through.
The concerns of ‘lifting will make me look masculine’ are fading as the realisation of training effectively & regularly can not do this to the average woman.
Will you get toned & sculpted AF? YES!
Will you become a bodybuilder? No, that’s going to take an awful lot more than the gym.
So WHY should women be reaching for the iron? (not the one in the laundry room).
Weight training is NOT just about building visible muscle, in fact for most, it's a bi-product. Weight training is vital for women as it increases bone density which is important when it comes to childbearing and the ability to support the body through growing, carrying, birthing, and nursing a baby. It is even more so later on through menopause where the possibility of osteoporosis or osteopenia (brittle bones & loss of mobility) is dramatically increased.
Weightlifting for women is also crucial for muscle mass vs visceral fat. Visceral fat is the fatty layers around the organs which can cause diabetes, heart disease, infertility & all kinds of issues, especially when pregnant or trying to conceive.
As women age their metabolism slows down making it easier to put on weight, and more difficult to shift it. Lifting fires up calorie burning to manage weight & hormones which is essential to feeling balanced & well through natural changes - menstrual, anti natal or menopausal.
Women spend a lot of time hunched over a desk, sat at a steering wheel or slinging kids over their shoulders or perched on a hip reeking havoc with posture & movement. Learning how to lift correctly reduces inflammation & improves skeletal structure/alignment reducing the risk of injury and pain.
Still think lifting is just for the boys?