Should Women Do Strength Training?
Weight lifting gives you noticeable results and is hugely rewarding. But despite wide spread knowledge about fitness and physiology many women have still worried they’ll soon look like body builders, instead of creating the lean shape they’re looking for.
The universal thinking is changing though, with more women starting a strength training routine and seeing the benefits. Whether with their own body weight or weight training at gyms, women are all-in on resistance training.
Some women even say they can eat much more as they used to when doing only cardio.
If that’s not enough motivation by itself, read on to find out why women should do strength training.
1. Lose more fat
When trying to lose fat, the most important part is making sure you burn off more calories than you take in on a daily basis. Weight training builds lean muscle, and muscle burns carbohydrates and body fat as fuel. As you add more muscle you will burn more calories each day.
2. Resistance training is more effective than cardio alone
You’ve probably been there, toughing it out during the same old cardio sessions, thinking it’s the key to weight loss. However, routine cardio can limit results and put stress on your body which can lead to injuries.
With resistance training, movements are varied often performing 5 to 10 different activities per workout. Plus, you’ll be exercising parts of the body cardio doesn’t effectively reach.
3. Weight training doesn’t mean you’ll become big.
Women worry about being bulky from weight lifting, but that can only happen with very strict weight training and a particular diet intentionally designed to make you big and bulky.
Plus, women are biologically differently than men, and won’t become bulky like a man. Testosterone is much higher in men, and testosterone is a main factor in building large muscles.
4. Boost your confidence
Last but definitely not least is the boost of confidence you’ll feel in your life. As you workout with weights your body becomes stronger each time. The consistent climb of strength is an accomplishment that is incredibly rewarding and encouraging.
Fat loss from cardio workouts alone can take lots of time, while strength from weight training in the gym can increase rapidly, especially in the first months.
Simply put, it just feels awesome to be stronger than you used to be. The confidence gained through weight lifting will spread to other areas of your life – work, school, home and relationships.
To learn more about how weigh training can be part of your exercise routine visit any AFC Fitness club or enjoy a complimentary personal training evaluation with an experienced, certified trainer. Click here for a free personal training evaluation.