Women who lift… here’s what you need to know
Many ladies I have spoken to about lifting weights are concerned about gaining too much muscle and bulking up. It is actually very hard for women to bulk up, due to lower testosterone levels. Men bulk up more easily due to higher testosterone levels. Of course there are some women who have hormonal imbalances and increased levels of testosterone, but most of us will find it quite hard to bulk up, even with dedicated heavy lifting.
Benefits to woman doing resistance training:
Improved muscle tone, consisting of lean muscle mass
Increased resting metabolism
Increased bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis
Improved posture
Increased strength and stamina
Cardiovascular/heart health
Decreased risk of injury due to muscle strength
Another concern for some ladies is that the weights area in the gym can be pretty intimidating, full of pumped up guys flexing their biceps. There is no reason why you cannot join them, and many ladies do. But if you would like to take a different approach here are some suggestions.
Instead you could:
Do body-weight exercises, from the comfort of your own home. There are some excellent phone apps to try, such as the LOLO 7 Minute Workout (do 3 x 7 minutes for best results)
Do resistance training using kettle-bells, smaller dumbbells, resistance bands and TRX
Use resistance machines on the gym floor – get one of the fitness instructors to show you how if you need some guidance.
Try reformer Pilates classes
Top Tips:
Speak to a qualified Fitness Instructor or Personal Trainer and ask them to show you how to use the correct technique to avoid injury.
Start slowly, as long as you are challenging yourself it doesn’t matter how light or little you are doing compared to other people.
Always stretch after a workout.
Contact me if you would like more health and fitness advice – annie@wellbeingwithannie.com
