Strength Training & Weight Lifting For Women, And Why Should You Try It?

When it comes to strength training, most women will balk at the idea. After all, the horror stories doing the rounds are indeed off-putting – you’ll become muscle-bound, you’ll bulk up, you’ll appear rigid, and so on. 

With no disrespect to the venerated cardio brethren, lifting weights and strength training for weight loss are the only things which work if you need to lose fat, get in shape and appear toned, along with getting a strong, healthier body.

Table Of Contents

• Benefits of strength training and lifting weights
• Why should women indulge in lifting weights and strength training?
• More fat loss
• Betters heart and bone health
• Boosts confidence, reduces stress and improves strength
• More athleticism and more calorie expenditure
• Better sleep
• Reduced risks of injury and disease 

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Benefits of strength training and lifting weights

Strength training, a.k.a. resistance or weight training is a balanced physical activity routine designed to better muscular fitness by exercising a specific muscle/muscle group against external resistance such as your own body weight, weight machines or free-weights.

Strength training and lifting weights not only reduce body fat in women but also increase lean body mass, make muscles bigger and stronger, allow individuals to move quicker, protect muscle and bone mass, help keep the weight off, and even help better the mood.

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Did you know that swimming is one of the best strength training exercises for weight loss?

Why should women indulge in lifting weights and strength training?

1.More fat loss:

Lifting weights and strength training is key to losing fat since women develop lean muscle by burning more calories than they consume every day.

Strength training ensures more consumption of extra oxygen in the afterburn, something that is known as EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption).

So, the more the amount of muscle in the body, the higher the metabolism, leading to more calories burnt during the day.

Did you know?

According to research and studies, an average woman who lifts weights and does strength training 2-3 times every week for 2 months will lose nearly 1.6 kg of fat and gain nearly 1 kg  of muscle. In fact, one will burn 35-50 additional calories each day for every half kg of muscle they gain.

2. Betters heart and bone health:

When women grow older, they stand the risk of losing both muscle and bone mass, as well as stand the risk of osteoporosis. Strength training and lifting weights combat the bone mass loss.

The bones experience stress from the exercises over a long period of time, increasing in density and finally being able to withstand extra force and load. Similarly, resistance training exercises also reduce heart disease risk. 

The earlier women begin muscle training and strengthening exercises, the greater are the chances of good bone health later in life.

3. Boosts confidence, reduces stress and improves strength:

One of the biggest benefits of weight lifting for women is that they gain strength and become stronger, enabling them to lift more the next time. This gives a massive confidence boost in the process.

All this happens, more so, without women bulking up.

Strengthening exercises also release the neurotransmitters endorphins which fight depression, improve the mood, improve alertness, stimulate the mind, and prevent pain, as well as naturally reduce anxiety and stress.

Lifting weights is also a huge stress buster, with research finding that those strength training regularly handle stress better than those who don’t. Moreover, building muscle via muscle exercises also reduces back pain and improves posture, strengthening your core, shoulders, and back.

Did you know?

A McMaster University study observed that post resistance training and strength training exercises for a year, postmenopausal women found their spinal bone mass to have increased by 9%.

A Journal of Strength and Conditioning study observed that people lifting weights are lesser prone to heart disease risk factors such as elevated glucose levels and blood pressure, high triglycerides, and a large waist circumference.

Another study by Brazilian researchers found that when people did heavy bouts of training, their heart rate increased and their resting heart rate and blood pressure were lower the morning after.

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4. More athleticism and more calorie expenditure:

Women want curves and wish to be toned more than anything else, and weight training is the way to go. As one builds muscle, the body begins to take a wonderful shape, at the same time gaining endurance, agility, speed, and power.

At the same time, as one builds muscle, the body begins to use calories more efficiently, using more calories for daily muscle contractions for the simplest of movements.

So, the more the muscle mass, the more the number of muscle contractions, and the more calories one will burn.  

Are you looking for the perfect female workout? Here are some great toning exercises.

5. Better sleep:

Women, do you want to sleep better? Then better indulge in strength training exercises, which improves sleep quality, causes you to wake up less during the night, allows you to sleep deeper, and sleep faster.

According to an International SportMed Journal study, resistance training exercises before sleeping positively affect the sleep quality.

6. Reduced risks of injury and disease:

When it comes to strength training, women will also observe reduced risks of injuries in joints and tissues, strengthing them. It also decreases the risk of osteoporosis by strengthening tendons, ligaments, and joints, reducing risks of broken bones and fractures.

Ladies, feel confident, determined, and strong while you deal with stressful careers, manage your families, and fit into the clothes of your choice by indulging in strength training. Ladies, lift!

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FAQs

1] What are the benefits of strength training?

Some of the health benefits of strength training are lessened illness and cold, reduction in anxiety and stress, reduced PMS, less breast cancer risk, less cardiovascular diseases risk, less blood pressure, etc.

2] What are some strength training exercises?

Some of the best strength training exercises are Goblet Squats, Pallof Press, Dumbbell Rows, Push-ups, Split Squats, Lateral Squats, and Hip Extensions.

3] What are some resistance training exercises?

Some of the best resistance training exercises are leg adduction, planks, side planks, short arc squats, straight leg raises, wall shin raises, and the likes.

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