5 reasons women should lift weights and start incorporating strength training into their fitness routine. It’s not just for physique!
Hey fraands. Happy New Year! ?? I hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday. If I am being completely honest… I fell asleep during the MSU football game (yikes ? ) and woke up at 11:30 or so. Then stayed awake until midnight to kiss the hubs, and then we went up to bed. So lame. But no shame ?
Today I’m taking things in a different direction with you all. With new year’s resolutions and goals in full swing, I wanted to share something that I’m hoping you <women> will start incorporating into your fitness routine in 2016: WEIGHT TRAINING.
For those of you that are apprehensive, I feel you. I was that girl in college who would get on the elliptical for 30 minutes, then go and do some 5lb dumbbell curls, ab work, and call it a day. I would look into the weight training room with all of the bulked up guys (I believe I used the term “Steroidal Meat Men” back in the day…), and think “Mmmm, no thank you.” Not only did I feel intimidated by the weight room, I also didn’t think I needed it to accomplish my goals (i.e. fat loss). I thought I would “look like a man” and get bigger if I started lifting heavier weights. But I couldn’t be more wrong. I actually didn’t start seriously incorporating weight training into my fitness routine until a few years ago. And THAT my friends, is when I did actually start seeing some fat loss. Yes, I did clean up my diet a bit so that certainly helped. But I couldn’t have achieved the results I did without some resistance training of some kind. Lifting weights (or resistance training) obviously has more benefits than just helping tone your physique. So I wanted to touch base on some other important factors.
5 Reasons Women Should Lift Weights
HELPS RELIEVE STRESS
So of course all forms of exercise can be a great stress reliever. But when you incorporate weight training, your body has to work that much harder. Upping the intensity of your workout with weights can then increase the production of endorphins ( the feel-good hormone released during exercise). The more endorphins your body releases, the more stress and tension you can kick to the curb.
MORE EFFECTIVE FOR FAT LOSS
If you thought steady-state cardio was superior to weightlifting, think again. Why? Because lifting weights requires the body to consume additional oxygen, hours (sometimes days depending on the intensity) after the workout has been completed. This is known as “excess post oxygen consumption” (EPOC). The higher the intensity of the workout, the greater the EPOC. The more oxygen your body uses, the higher the caloric expenditure.
INCREASES METABOLISM
When you start lifting weights, you increase muscle size, increasing lean body mass. More muscle means higher metabolism, and your body will burn more calories more efficiently. This of course can coincide with fat loss, as long as you’re fueling your body properly.
BONE HEALTH
As women age they have a greater risk for bone and joint issues, due to the body no longer releasing estrogen. To reduce the risk of osteoporosis, women especially should incorporate resistance training into their exercise routine. You can increase bone mass and strengthen the surrounding joints by weightlifting.
BUILDS CONFIDENCE
For those that are already familiar with weightlifting, you know what I’m talking about. That confidence may come in the form of feeling better about your physique, i.e. more muscle definition, better curves. Or you may just feel like a total badass chick when you walk into the weight room and bust out some heavy squats. That confidence can translate to other areas of your life, as well. And in the words of Demi Lavato ?,“What’s wrong with being confident?” ?
So there you have it, five reasons why women should lift weights. And these are just SOME of the benefits of weightlifting. Speaking from personal experience, it feels pretty damn good to lift some heavy things. And when I can tell I’ve gotten stronger, it definitely is a confidence booster for me. I honestly can’t recommend it enough. Anyways, I hope I’ve shared some things with you today to help get you started on your weightlifting journey!
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QUESTION TIME::
For those of you that don’t engage in some form of resistance training, what’s stopping you? Injury? Interest? Not sure where to start?
If you need some help getting started, please comment below and I’d love to see how I can help! If you feel more comfortable with email, contact me at fitmittenkitchen(at)gmail(dot)com.
Carly @ Fitliving blog says
Great reasons to lift weights!! Love this post. I feel so much better when I am strength training consistently 🙂
Ashley says
Me too! I go in phases of doing circuit training one week, then some HIIT and rest days, but then sure enough I miss the weights and get back to it.
Laurie says
I grew up in Michigan and I love to lift. I was introduced to it a few years ago by a personal trainer, as weight training was the approach she used for weight loss. It was amazing the difference that I saw. Thank you for sharing!
Cindy says
Hello Ashley, I am also a woman and I totally agreed with you that we should lift weights and take care about our fitness. Men generally take care about their health and go for gym. Now a day’s women are also going to conscious about their health and save time for their workout and it are very useful of us.
Bariatric Eating says
Even for women, lifting weights is very important. It helps you build muscles for your daily routine on your house and for the kids. Also, it boost your confidence as you keep on participating on lifting weights. It will surely give you credits that will keep you healthy. Doing this as your habit will definitely give you a strong and fit body.
Jean Luc says
Loved this post..!!!
It’s important to stay fit and fine in today’s world. you have highlighted the best reasons for doing weight loss.
Great post buddy..!!!!
Matt says
I 100% agree with all of your points Ashley. And it’s not just for women either. I love my weightlifting, mostly because it is super fun and so easy to see improvements as you get stronger and fitter!
Caitlyn @ Fit to be Hitched says
Great article! And couldn’t agree more. I use to be that person that just thought I needed to run miles and miles. 🙂 I love weight lifting now. It also helps balance my training out in order to prevent injuries from aerial dancing!
Caitlyn @ Fit to be Hitched says
Great article! And couldn’t agree more. I use to be that person that just thought I needed to run miles and miles. ? I love weight lifting now. It also helps balance my training out in order to prevent injuries from aerial dancing!
Ashley says
Weight lifting is definitely a great addition to any workout regimen!
Leda says
I’m New on lifting weights but I found that all your points are right, I also think that weight lifting builds confidence!
Thanks for sharing!