The importance of strength training for women is endless. The purpose is to build strength and gain quality muscle. Why you may ask. Well why not? So we can be the best versions of ourselves as possible. So we can live an optimal life, always feeling our best and most importantly at our healthiest inside and out. It is not a crime to put ourselves first every now and then.
The benefits from lifting heavy weights (or working to your maximum) rather than picking up a 1kg dumbbell or aerobicizing is stronger muscles DUH! However, combine strength training with a diet genuine healthy diet, with whole foods and results will intensify resulting in stronger and denser muscle. This will also burn fat that is lying on top of the muscle and that’s when the “toned” look comes into play.
The worst myth out there is women becoming “bulky” through weight training. This simply is just not the case. For the body builders out there who have gained muscle have worked extremely hard over a long period of time to look like that, they have eaten a specific amount of calories and have train for a purpose. However, we are talking about the importance of good, quality lean muscle for everyday women. Not for bodybuilding or sculpting. Female bodybuilders have a higher calorie intake and train day in, day out to gain their muscle and sculpt their bodies for stage performance. Weight training done right 2-3 sessions a week and a healthy, maintainable diet will bring amazing results including weight loss which a lot of women don’t realise as well as more energy, vitality and releases serotonin within the body. Serotonin is active in constructing smooth muscles, transmitting impulses between cells, regulating cyclic body processes and contributing to wellbeing and happiness. Those lacking in the hormone serotonin it is believed by researches that a deficiency can lead to depressions. Another fantastic reason to start strength training today girls.
So here’s the truth ladies; when you pick up heavy weights or “things” in general your muscles get STRONGER (but not necessarily bigger). In order to get “bigger” or “bulky” you would need to eat a very high caloric diet, much more than you burn throughout the day. As well as strength train twice a day for 6 days a week. So know the facts and the difference between the myths and what’s real and you will soon discover that strength training is for every woman. And remember your diet will be responsible for 80-90% of that fat loss. Strength train, not with targeted exercises, but with big compound movements that recruit lots of muscle (therefore will force your body to rebuild lots of muscle, which requires extra calories burned, even after the workout is done). So nothing can take place of a balanced healthy diet and combined with a good, tailor made strength program for you results are guaranteed.
