Have you ever heard someone say “lifting weights will make you bulky!”? Well, nothing could be further from the truth!
The importance of strength training for ladies
Have you ever heard someone say “lifting weights will make you bulky!”? Well, nothing could be further from the truth!
I have met many women who were too nervous to even lift 3kg dumbbells due to the fear of becoming ‘bulky’ and looking ‘manly’. Furthermore, we are constantly surrounded by social media posts that are filled with captions such as “thigh gaps” and “skinny life”, seemingly encouraging young women to look thin and weak.
Strength training does the complete opposite –it tones your whole body, strengthens your muscles, boosts your confidence and leaves you feeling energetic and looking lean.
Before I became a trainer, I would spend hours on the treadmill and the elliptical trainer trying to lose weight and tone my whole body. It became quite monotonous and I never felt like I was being challenged. I never lifted any weights because I was too scared to enter the weight section where all the big gym guys were, especially when I had no knowledge of what I had to use.
One day I decided to join a Bootcamp class, where I was introduced to squats, push ups, lunges, burpees (ouch) and plank. I couldn’t move my legs or sit down properly for a whole week after that class, but it was one of the best feelings I had ever felt!
I noticed that I started getting stronger, my arms started to tone, my back pain was reduced and my confidence was boosted after every session. Strength training made me feel more powerful as a woman. It was rewarding to see muscles developing (which I never knew I had) and to witness what my body was capable of achieving. I started to appreciate the small facets of my body even more and enjoyed feeling stronger.
The benefits of strength training
One of the aspects that made me love strength training was seeing how much could be accomplished in a short space of time. Every week could be different and 2-3 days a week of 30 minutes strength training was more than enough.
The incredible thing about incorporating strength training into your exercise regime is that you can perform exercises such as push ups, squats, lunges, crunches and triceps dips all in the comfort of your own home and bring up your heart rate in less than 2 minutes.
The benefits of strength training include:
-Protection of bone health and muscle mass
-Prevention of back pain
-Increased metabolism
-Improvement in balance & co-ordination
-Reduction of stress
-Improvement of sports performance
Strength training and the ageing process
As people grow older and become subject to stationary positions in their careers; their bones and ligaments start to weaken and they lose muscle mass and bone density. In fact, studies have shown that one percent of one’s muscle strength is lost every year after the age of 35! Reduced muscle mass naturally results in reduced overall strength, slowed metabolism and problems with mobility.
A reduction in bone density leaves one susceptible to breaking bones, poor posture and back pain.
So how do we fix this? Answer: incorporate strength training into our exercise regimes.
Weight bearing exercise has been proven to prevent and negate the effects of ageing on bone density and muscle mass (to a certain extent).
There are two types of strength training: isometric resistance and isotonic strength training. Isometric training involves tightening your muscles against a non-moving object (such as performing a push up), whereas isotonic training is contracting your muscles through a variety of movements such as lifting weights. (www.everydayhealth.com)
Both of these types of training are vital to improving and strengthening one’s bone health.
Strength training and lower back pain
I work with a number of people who struggle with lower back pain. Since they have started exercising, their cores have strengthened and their lower back pain has been reduced. Lower back pain is common amongst those who sit in a stationary position for an extended period of time during the day (this includes those who drive long distances).
It has been amazing to see how strength training has reduced my clients’ lower back pain.
The first client I ever trained (in 2013) suffered from severe back ache caused by sitting in front of her laptop all day, and needed to strengthen her muscles. I can say with confidence that after 3 months of committed training her back pain disappeared, she became stronger and fitter, and loved seeing the results of toning on her muscles.
Strength training exercises such as squats, push ups and planking are essential in strengthening the core and reducing lower back pain.
Other benefits of strength training
Performing strength training exercises has been proven time and time again to assist in one’s balance and co-ordination.
Exercises such as the side plank strengthen your core and improve balance.
The squat exercise has been shown to strengthen the glutes (bum muscles) and hamstrings (back of the thighs), which are vital to maintaining good posture and preventing back pain.
I encourage my clients to use their core daily (for example, when they stand up from sitting on a chair or pick up their child from the floor), because these simple movements are where balance and core strength is tested.
Another thing I love about strength training is witnessing how it inspires couples to get stronger and feel more in control of their bodies. For example- my female client loves how lifting weights has toned her glutes, and her husband feels more sturdy and tough. Lifting weights has also been shown to lower stress and enhance one’s self-image.
Improving performance in other areas using strength training
Strength training has a positive effect on the performance of aerobic exercises such as running or cycling, by strengthening the muscles used.
I was once approached by a friend, who’s a runner, for advice on improving her performance.
I encouraged her to start performing squats and lunges to strengthen her quads (thighs) and glutes. She could not believe the difference in her endurance during her races and she was able to handle running hills/on an incline much better. Her knees were also strengthened and supported by the stronger surrounding muscles.
Lifting weights has shown me how much stronger I can be. It has boosted my confidence, made me look leaner and taught me that our bodies are capable of accomplishing more than we think.
So go squat- you will not regret it!
by Adele Sharman