Why Women Shouldn’t Fear Lifting Weights

Intro

One of the things I hear all the time as a coach is ‘I don’t want to lift weights because I don’t want to get bulky’. Honestly, I get it. There’s so much misinformation out there, and somewhere along the way women have been taught that if they pick up a dumbbell, they’re going to look like a bodybuilder.

If building muscle was that easy, I wouldn’t have a job.

The reality is that strength training does so much more than change just the way your body looks. Yes, building muscle can help you achieved a toned, strong physique. But the benefits, go way beyond aesthetics and appearance.

Lifting weights is genuinely one of the best things you can do for your body, your health and your confidence.

So, let’s talk about why women shouldn’t be scared to lift weight.

1- You do not build muscle as easy as people think

It takes years of training consistently, lifting heavy, and having a well-balanced, nutritious diet (and eating enough) to build muscle.

This takes time, consistency, and effort.

I think you’ll find most women actually struggle to build muscle and achieve the tone look that they’re after. Women struggle more than men because they have much lower testosterone levels. 

So, if you think you’re going to walk into a gym, train for a few weeks and accidentally come out looking like a professional bodybuilder then I’m sorry to tell you, but you’re definitely not.

What you will start to notice is, you can lift more weight, your body fat will start to decrease and a little bit of muscle start peeking through.

Trust me when I say you will not look bulky.

The only way you’re going to look bulky is if you train and eat exactly like how bodybuilder trains and eat. Which I guarantee you are not doing.

2- Strength training has benefits beyond appearance and aesthetics

Yes, strength training does help you to create that ‘toned’ look. Is appearance important? It honestly depends on who you ask to what that answer will be. My opinion is, if you feel more confident that way, then yes of course it’s important.

At the end of the day, everybody wants to like how they look. What’s not important is obsessing over how you look and comparing yourself to everybody around you. You need to find a happy medium.

But put that aside, there are many other reasons why you should train beyond how you look. Strength training doesn’t just change your body, it changes how you feel.

Exercise releases endorphins- which help helps reduce stress, improve your mood and clear your head. When you train consistently, those benefits start to add up. You’ll notice you will start to feel more energy through the day, you’ll find yourself not needing that 3^rd or 4^th coffee anymore. You’ll also start to find you can handle everyday stress better. You’ll become more resilient. It has been proven that strength training will decrease depressive symptoms.

Honestly, exercise builds your confidence in so many ways that have nothing to even do with the gym.

Daily life gets easier, you’re able to walk up the stairs without puffing now, you can pick your child up easier, you can bend down without struggling to get back up.

If you join workout classes, you’ll meet people who become a part of your support network and social circle. You meet like-minded people who are also just there to better themselves.

It becomes a lifestyle change, for the better.

3- Strength training is an investment to your future health.

As we age- our bone density decreases, our muscles lose strength, endurance, and flexibility. This can have an effect on our coordination, stability and balance. If you fall with weaker bones, it’s more likely to break.

How can we avoid this as much as possible? Strength training.

By lifting weight, is going to increase bone density and keep our muscles as strong as possible as we age. This means, better coordination, better stability and better balance.

So, less chance of falls, but also if we do fall, you’re going to be less likely to break your bones and more likely to just get straight back up and carry on with your day.

We can’t stop aging from happening, but what we can do is ensure our bodies are as fit and strong as possible to improve quality of life and keep us moving better, for longer.

4- the toned look comes from muscle, not endless cardio

You’re wanting to achieve that toned look. You’re not going to achieve this by just doing cardio.

Why? Because you need muscle mass to look toned as well as a lower body fat percentage.

Cardio is good for many different reasons, but it isn’t the only thing you should be doing.

Doing cardio burns calories while you are doing it, but when you stop, you stop burning calories. Strength training increases your metabolism.

Metabolism is how many calories you burn at rest, so if your metabolism increases, this means that your body is going to start burning more calories at rest.

So, you’re not going to put on weight as easy now, because even while at rest, your body is continuing to burn calories.

You need to have a good balance of both strength training, and cardio, since cardio is good for your heart health, etc.

Muscle gives you shape to areas like your glutes, legs, shoulders, waist, etc. So, when you have a low body fat percentage, these will show.

Conclusion-