4 Reasons Why Women Should Lift Weights
If you have been following me on Instagram, you know I started doing more serious strength training in 2022.
If you have already followed me, check out my profile for regular fitness inspirations!
With 7 months of doing it under my belt, I think it is the best time to share with you what I have found about strength and barbell training.
Overall, I have had a positive experience with strength training. This year, I plan on getting a Professional Barbell Coach certification to learn more about this part of fitness.
Without further ado, let us get straight into the deets on why women should lift weights.
Summary
What is Lifting Weights?
Lifting weights, or strength training, is a type of exercise primarily focusing on training your muscles.
In my article, the body’s energy systems, there is more information on this topic.
Strength training also correlates with improving bone density, which is extremely helpful for everyone, especially as you are mindful about getting older.
Most, if not all, people exercise without a part of strength training. They think that strength is automatically included in the other activities.
In truth, they have not been intentional about training the unused muscles. Take walking as an example.
When you walk, you use your leg muscles. What about your arms or abs muscles? What are they going to do?
This is where strength training comes in. The purpose is to supplement your body with the muscle training that your other activities lack.
Right now, I have a deeper focus on barbell strength training. As the name suggests, it is a type of strength training that uses a barbell.
Think of your stereotypical big bro gym, with people lifting heavy. In my case, I lift as much as possible without putting pressure on outdoing anyone.
Women should lift weights for themselves, not because of what other people think.
Related post: The Body’s Energy Systems
The Anatomy Difference Between Women and Men
Biologically speaking, women and men are different. Women have more estrogen, while men have more testosterone.
On average, men tend to be stronger physically than women due to them having more muscle mass, denser bones, and bigger frames[1].
Do not let this fact discourage you from strength training. What you read just now is “AVERAGE.” It does not mean that you are weaker than every man out there.
If a man has never been in a gym since high school, chances are you are going to be alright. You have to put in the work. That is why women should lift weights.
Women have wider hips due to childbearing functions. You can train your legs to be more vital to stand on two feet.
At the same time, you might experience more discomfort in this area since the muscles are more stretched. Hence, you need strength training more than ever.
Related Post: Why Women Need Strength Training
The Extra Benefits of Why Women Should Lift Weights
Weight lifting not only helps you get stronger, you are working toward a multi-faceted approach to health, including but not limited to improving sleep, bone density, muscle mass, and cartilage[2].
The possibilities are endless when it comes to lifting weights and strength training.
The benefits of strength training outweigh its downsides. Most of which are from misconceptions that you might be bulking up.
It is much harder for women to build muscles than men. Adding strength training to your exercise routine will not cause you to be bulky[3].
On the other hand, there is a correlation between strength training and increased mental health and confidence levels.
As unstereotypical as it might be, women should lift weights more to improve their strength and enjoy the life that they deserve.
How to Start Lifting Weights?
Let us sum up the 4 reasons why women should lift weights:
- Supplement to your existing routine
- Avoid pain or soreness in the future
- Improve sleep, bone density, muscle mass, and more
- Enhance mental health and confidence
With the abundance of advantages to lifting weights with little to no risks, let us understand how you can start lifting weights today!
If you do not already have an exercise routine, you can use the quiz below to figure out your personalized routine in under 2 minutes.
The best part? It is completely free so why not?
I recommend you approach strength training in a total body approach, meaning you will target all of your muscles in each weight-lifting session.
It means you will train your upper and lower body at the same time. Why? It saves lots of time for you to do other things for your routine.
It is your turn now to go out there! Start lifting weights around. You can use your body weight or small dumbbells. Get those muscles strong!
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