Weightlifting for women, Personal Trainer Chelsea Labadini reveals the 6 benefits you need to know and why you should give it a go
Gone are the days where the weights section was referred to as the ‘mens area’.
Although more women than ever before are braving the weights section of the gym, there’s still a huge number of women who are reluctant to start weightlifting.
Indeed, research shows that the most popular group fitness classes for women are yoga, spinning and Aerobics. But I’m here to convince you to get off your spin bike and give weightlifting a go, because in a nutshell, lifting weights can change your life. Here are X benefits of weightlifting…
Benefit #1 It’s empowering
If you dread doing HIIT training or you’re fed up of doing endless amounts of cardio then it’s worth giving weightlifting a try, right? So many women love weight-training and even report feeling more confident because of it.
Your body releases endorphins, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin when you exercise which can all lead to an improved mood.
Lifting weights feels good and it strangely feels quite sexy. Exercising should be something that you enjoy and the results will speak for themselves. Sexy, happy, confident- what’s not to love?
READ MORE: Will lifting make me bulky? Fitness fads exposed
Benefit #2 You’ll look strong and toned NOT bulky
The word ‘tone’ is another buzz word being thrown around in relation to fat loss and building muscle. If you want to look ‘toned’ then you’ll need to have some muscle there in the first place, which is achieved through weightlifting!
The most common thing I hear is ‘But I don’t want to get big and bulky’. If you are thinking that you are going to look like a body builder after weightlifting, then hopefully this will change your mind.
Women who are looking to achieve a body builder physique are working REALLY hard to look like that. They are spending hours in the gym and it’s probably taken them YEARS in the gym. Not only that but they are also eating a specific (and usually strict) diet that requires a lot of dedication.
women don’t have enough testosterone in their bodies to do so
The truth is that for the female general population who get to the gym three to four times a week for a one-hour workout, aren’t going to build enough muscle to look like a body builder.
The simple reason is because women don’t have enough testosterone in their bodies to do so. Testosterone is a massive factor in your ability to build muscle and so is your diet. You must be consuming a lot of calories and protein in order to ‘bulk up’.
Benefit #3 It will challenge you mentally and physically
Unfortunately, weighlifting isn’t as simple as just picking up a weight and doing a few bicep curls. In order for them to grow they need to be challenged – this is called muscle overload.
Muscles have to be worked with enough volume and believe it or not, there is a correct way to programme your workouts. Following random YouTube video’s is not necessarily the best way to tone up.
As you get stronger your muscles will adapt, and so you’ll need to keep challenging them
Instead, you need a programme that you can stick to and make sure that your muscles are always being challenged. As you get stronger your muscles will adapt, and so you’ll need to keep challenging them or else you will plateau.
When I work with clients on a 1-2-1 basis. I am always ensuring their workouts are constantly evolving, challenging and realistic, so that they can smash the targets they set themselves and achieve what they set out to do.
For personalised strength training plans tailored to your health and fitness goals, visit my website.
READ MORE: 6 steps to creating your ideal summer workout routine
Benefit #4 Day to day life will be easier
I very much doubt that there is a person out there who isn’t lifting things in their everyday lives. You might be moving the kids around, picking up cases, bags, food, shopping – the list goes on.
Therefore lifting weights will make you stronger and make your everyday life and these sort of activities easier.
Benefit #5 You’ll reduce the likelihood of injury and diseases
When we practice deadlifts at the gym it is essentially picking something up correctly. Aesthetics aside, lots of the exercises that we do at the gym are going to strengthen our bodies and make us less likely to get injured.
Lifting weights can reduce your risk of chronic diseases, improve your mental health, improve your mobility, prevent osteoporosis. This list goes on, so if that’s not a reason to start, then I don’t know what is.
READ MORE: 9 benefits of weight training this celebrity PT wants you to know
Benefit #6 You’ll look younger
Research has shown that there are actually more health benefits to resistance training than aerobic training. As women age there is a reduction in muscle (sarcopenia) and this can result in less functional ability and a higher body fat percentage.
As women age there is a reduction in muscle (sarcopenia)
This all leads to a slower metabolism and we know that a slower metabolic rate can contribute to weight gain, even if you are eating the same amount of calories as when you were younger.
Strength training is also linked to improving bone density. As we age our bone density weakens, especially post menopause. Strength training will help keep those bones strong and healthy.
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