Why Women Should Start Lifting Weights

Many women assumed that weight lifting would make them bulky, making the act only available for men. However, that is far from the truth, and women can start lifting heavier than 10-pound dumbbells once they are ready. Heavy lifting is definitely something that women should get into, even if they are not looking to become a bodybuilder.

The world of weight lifting is often intimidating, especially when guys usually dominate all the weights and machines at a gym. Moreover, many women do not want to grow big and bulky, as most men that religiously lift weights do.

However, trainers know everything, and they know that it is actually hard for women to get bulky, even when they lift heavier weights. As long as they have good form and practice proper safety measures, there is no reason why a woman should not feel confident lifting weights at the gym.

Why Strength Training is Great for Women

Lifting is a huge part of furthering a fitness journey. Anyone, including women, can get fantastic benefits when they add weight lifting days to their workout schedule. Firstly, it builds stronger bones, adds strength, better fat burn and even weight loss!

Become Stronger

Of course, the main benefit anyone can get from lifting is strength. Adding more weights is key to building strong muscles. Some women stick to light strength training that helps muscle endurance. However, lifting heavier weights is what makes a person stronger.

Slowly adding weights and doing compound exercises (squats, rows, deadlifts, etc.) is how you get stronger. Getting stronger will make your regular tasks a breeze, improving your overall life!

You Can Burn More Fat

Most women want to work out to burn fat. Cardio was often thought of as the “best way” to burn fat. However, a lot of evidence shows that weight lifting burns fat, and potentially even more than cardio (especially when both methods are paired with a slight calorie deficit).

A study saw that adults that walked to exercise lost the same amount of weight as people who did weight training and also walked. However, the people that only walked actually lost lean muscle mass. The ones who walked and lifted maintained muscle mass while losing fat, making it a better option to get rid of stubborn belly fat.

It Burns More Calories

As stated earlier, most people thought cardio was the only way to burn calories. However, strength training can burn even more calories, especially if it involves heavy lifting. The initial hour of cardio can burn more calories than lifting for an hour, but what happens after training is what is important.

The body has a resting metabolic rate, which is a rate where you burn calories while you do not move, and the rate increases after you lift weights, even hours after your workout. One study saw that young women who lifted weights for around 100 minutes increased their resting metabolism by 4.2% for 16 whole hours.

Doesn’t Lifting Make Girls Look Big and Bulky?

A huge reason why women avoid lifting is that they think it makes them become bulky. However, lifting heavy weights does not actually make you bigger. If you see a bulky, muscular guy lifting weights at the gym, they likely eat thousands of calories and protein and spend hours at the gym lifting really heavy weights.

A proper female personal trainer will tell you that doing several sessions a week where you lift heavier weights will not bulk you up. What you will achieve is a more defined and leaner body. Moderate weight training causes more developed muscles and fat loss, which is what many women want.

Why You Should Lift Heavier Weights

Some women may attempt lifting, but small weights will likely give them little to no results in muscle tone and fat loss. While it is important to start with lighter weights until you master the form, you need to be able to move up in your weights by slowly increasing how heavy you lift.

If you do not want to get into bodybuilding, then you do not have to worry about lifting extremely heavy weights, which is the only way you get bulky. Strength training involves pushing the body close to failure, or near your limit, without going as hard as a bodybuilder.

Can Older Women Lift Weights?

Surprisingly, older women can try to lift weights. Lifting weights can strengthen bones, making it beneficial for them. However, an older woman may use lighter weights and have fewer ranges of motion. Despite that, they are still able to lift, and they ought to give it a shot if they want to feel stronger.

Teens and kids can try out weight lifting as well. However, it needs to be supervised by a professional trainer to make sure they do it safely and properly.

Do I Still Need to do Cardio?

If you think that lifting weights means you can ditch cardio, think again. The goal is to get a healthy balance between both, especially if you are a beginner at lifting weights. Expert trainers know that strength training and cardio are both good, so they need to be incorporated into a client’s schedule.

How Can I Start Lifting?

The most efficient way is to ask a trainer for help. These trainers are certified professionals who will take your health and goals into account. Moreover, they will teach you about proper safety tips and correct your form, which is important to prevent injury and get the best results.