Benefits of Strength Training for Women!
Get Stronger
The most obvious benefit for anyone of lifting weights is getting stronger. And, most important to building stronger muscles is to really push the weights. Some women are okay with doing some light strength training, and that’s great for muscle endurance, but real lifting actually builds strength. By real lifting we mean heavy weights and compound exercises like deadlifts, rows, and squats. Getting stronger makes everyday chores and activities—picking up the kids, taking out the garbage, cleaning—easier.
Expect to Burn Fat, a Lot
A big motivation women have for working out is burning fat. Cardio has long been considered the ultimate fat-burner, but there is mounting evidence that weight lifting not only burns fat but may even do it better than cardio.
In one study researchers found that adults who walked for exercise lost as much weight as those who walked and did weight training. But, those who only walked lost lean mass, while those who included lifting lost fat and maintained muscle. Additionally important for most women, lifting is better than cardio for losing belly fat.
Lift to Burn Calories Too
Again, cardio is always thought of as the holy grail of calorie burning, but strength training is important for burning them up too. In fact, you may actually burn more calories from doing heavy lifting. Yes, an hour of cardio burns more calories than an hour of lifting, but it’s after the fact that the magic happens.
The secret is that lifting causes an increase in the body’s resting metabolic rate—the rate at which it burns calories when you’re doing nothing—for hours after the workout. A study with young women found that those who worked out by lifting weights for 100 minutes saw a 4.2 percent increase in resting metabolism for 16 hours after the fact.2
Prevent Injuries
Weight lifting increases muscle strength, and that means every normal or athletic physical task becomes a little bit easier. It also becomes less risky. When you are stronger you can move in more efficient ways and that works in your favor to prevent injury. Runners for example, who also work on muscle strength, can prevent knee injuries. The stronger muscles supporting the knee joint promote good form and prevent pain and injury.
Get Better at Other Sports
Not all your female clients are athletes, but you probably have some who are really into certain activities and sports: running, cycling, soccer, or dance, for instance. It’s easy to get into one particular type of activity and really focus on it. This is not a bad thing, but amateur athletes need to understand that they will get better at that sport by adding weights. A couple of days a week of lifting will help your clients become faster runners, crush their PRs, and become all-around better athletes.
Lifting Strengthens Bones, Not Just Muscles
Having muscle strength is so important, but the great thing about lifting is that it strengthens bones too. Women are especially susceptible to losing bone density and strength as they get older, and doing anything to combat it can prevent fractures and breaks.
Here’s how it works: just like with muscles, when your bones are impacted they respond by breaking down and building new cells. When you do a strength training move, such as a squat, the muscle that is contracting and extending pulls on the bones in the leg. This in turn causes the bone to make new cells. With consistent lifting and strength training bone loss can be prevented or even reversed.
Feel Good, Really Good
It’s a new challenge, and feeling and actually getting stronger is an empowering experience that builds confidence and self-esteem. Then there are the physical benefits as well. Lifting improves body composition, increases muscle tone, and burns fat. You will like how your body looks after consistent weight lifting, and that will only increase confidence more.
