Ladies, if you want get fit, you need to lift weights. Learn the many benefits of strength training, and get started with this complete training plan!
Weightlifting won't get you bulky or turn you into a she-hulk. But you will gain confidence, self-esteem, and a healthy body.
THINK THE KEY TO A FIT PHYSIQUE IS STRICT CARDIO? THINK AGAIN.
How do I know? My female athlete friends tell me all the time.
Some of them tell me that they could never understand why they didn't have the lean, athletic, feminine body they yearned for, or that they spent hours at the gym and they were always consistent.
The answer from me to them came in the form of iron, and since then, I have advised them that the iron is the best of friends.
Women may achieve a more desirable physique and feel better about themselves in every conceivable way.
While I loved to coach and inspire many women around the world who appreciate and engage in regular strength training, I'm not ignorant to the fact there are still a lot myths and misunderstandings surrounding women and heavy weight training.
But before I talk about why those ideas are myths rather than truths, let's talk about the myriad benefits that lifting weights provides.
WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO BE STRONG?
Metabolism and muscles: First, and perhaps most cogent, is the effect that lifting weights has on fat loss. The more muscle a woman has, the more calories she will burn at rest.
So, basically, muscles speed up your metabolism, resulting in more effective fat loss.
Bone health: Many studies have shown that lifting weights regularly can increase bone density. Women in their 20s and 30s don't think about this often, but someday you will. And won't you be so proud of yourself that you lifted weights and cared for your bone density before you even knew you needed to?
DUMBBELL SQUAT
Independence: Being strong makes everything easier. You know that furniture you need moved? Well, now you can do it yourself. How about those 15 bags of groceries? One trip from car to home—all you, girl.
Confidence: Strong girls exude a confidence that is intoxicating. I happen to believe that this comes from the knowledge that women can accomplish pretty impressive feats at the gym. When they realize their outer strength, they can tap into their inner strength, and that begins to radiate. Confidence is a very attractive quality, and that gym confidence starts to leak into every other aspect of life.
I always say, if you can crush it in the gym, you can crush it at life.
BARBELL DEADLIFT
GIRL, YOU WON'T GET BULKY. HERE'S WHY.
Hormones: Most women simply do not possess the level of testosterone necessary to support a bulky physique.
Furthermore, any woman who does have a massively muscular physique is probably supplementing with hormones. While everybody has different genetics, and some women are prone to having more muscle density than others, as a general rule you have to train for bulk to get bulk.
Ask any bodybuilder and they will tell you that gaining muscle isn't easy. You won't turn into a she-hulk just because you perform squats with your body weight, but you will end up with a righteous backside.
Training model: Along those same lines as genetics, the way you train will play a significant role in determining how your body develops. Hypertrophy (increased bulk) is not as easy as you might think, and most bodybuilders work incredibly hard to make sure their training program supports maximum muscle growth in as short a time span as possible.
JUMP SQUAT
I love to advise a lot of women, and not a single one has come to me with the complaint that they are too bulky after weightlifting. As a general rule, most women I talk to are put on 3-5 workouts per week consisting of full-body free-weight training (squats, lunges, deadlifts, pull-ups, push-ups, rows, presses), kettlebell training (swings, snatches), and interval training.
The key is to utilize as many compound, combination, and full-body movements as possible, so that women are increasing lean mass and decreasing fat simultaneously, rather than isolating muscle groups to increase their size.
Of course, much of this is dependent upon your diet, and a bulking diet looks far different than a solid nutritional protocol for a woman on a fat-loss program.
The bottom line is that the way you eat and train will determine how your body develops. A full-body training program and a diet rich in protein, veggies, and healthy fats is an effective path toward fat loss and strength for most women.
SO NOW WHAT?
Maybe I've convinced you. Perhaps now, you're thinking you're going to toss your three-pound weights, hop off the elliptical, and give this whole strength thing a shot. Where should you begin? Lift weights and go to the gym often.
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