Many people like to think that heavy
weightlifting and bodybuilding, in general,
is a guy’s thing. The general advice is that
women shouldn’t engage in it, because
they will become “bulky”.
They can train gymnastics, swimming, and
other sports but not weight training. There
is still a negative stigma in society about
women who engage in heavy weightlifting.
Shucks! We’re here to prove them wrong.
I’m happy to say more and more women
start training with weights and competing
in bodybuilding competitions. I adore that
fact, and I’m here to give you eight
reasons why weightlifting is a no longer
man-exclusive sport.
I will be talking about what benefits can
women get from weight lifting and why
should every woman engage in some type
of resistance training.
Let’s get right into it.
1. You’ll Burn More Fat
The Turfs University did a study which
separated overweight women in two
groups. One group engaged in weight
training twice a week, resulting in lost an
average of 14.6 pounds of fat and gained
1.4 pounds of muscle in the process. The
other group, which only dieted without
weight training, lost only 9.2 pounds of fat
but gained no muscle in the process.
There is a simple fact which can explain
these results - when you do an intense
weight-training program, your metabolism
is elevated, and you continue to burn fat
for several hours after you have finished
your workout.
If you do a regular cardio exercise, you’ll
stop burning fat shortly after you have
finished your session.
2.
You’ll Build Your Ideal Shape
Whether you want to look great in a dress,
rock a bathing suit on summer vacation, or
to have shapely arms in a tank top, weight
training is the best way you can do that.
It’s not only the best but also the fastest
way you can reach your aesthetic goals.
To achieve these goals, you should train
with progressively heavier weights.
Some of you may think “But my goal is to
lose fat”. It doesn’t matter. If you commit to
losing fat by doing a lot of cardio and bring
your fat percentage down into the teens
(which is very lean for a woman), you
won’t like what you see. You’ll have little to
no muscle to work with on this body fat
level, and you’ll be a skinny girl with no
curves to be seen.
It’s essential for you to understand that
your muscles will give you your desired
shape. So if you want to be lean and look
great in whatever dress you rock, lifting
weights is the way to go.
It would be best if you aim to do at least
three sessions a week for better results.
3.
You’ll Strengthen Your Bones
As we age, our estrogen levels drop and
this lead to postmenopausal women to be
prone to osteoporosis. Estrogen is the
chemical which is responsible for bone
building.
Numerous studies show a positive
correlation between resistance training
and bone density. When your bones feel
your muscles pulling, bone growth is
stimulated. Women who lift weights
regularly can have an increase in bone
density and offset the bone loss.