Why Women Should Be Lifting Weights

Whether you want to admit to it or not, you have probably been one of the many women who are afraid to start hitting the weights for several reasons. For me personally, I was quite the cardio bunny back in college. I thought that was the best way to burn calories and that it was going to help me reach my fitness goals. Back then I had no idea where to begin and I wasn’t exactly concerned with building muscle, just being “lean”. You know, typical college-girl mentality. Which don’t get me wrong, cardio will definitely help… to an extent. BUT, after running miles and miles and miles, I knew it was time to try something new. Enter weightlifting…

Why women decide NOT to lift weights:

· They are not sure where to begin

· They believe cardio burns more calories

· They are afraid of the weight room – afraid of not knowing how to use the equipment

· They think it will make them “bulky”

· They just want to get “toned”

Why women SHOULD lift weights:

· Unless they are eating in a calorie surplus, they will not get bulky

· Strength training will make a lot more changes in your body composition than cardio alone (note: 1 pound of muscle takes up less space than 1 pound of fat)

· Ignore that fitness watch that you are obsessed with! Contrary to what that watch tells you, an hour of strength training will burn more calories than one hour of cardio due to your body working harder in the following 24 hours to repair muscle tissue

· Lifting will help speed up your metabolism – more muscle mass means your body burns more calories at rest

· It helps make everyday activities easier

· For aging women, it helps to preserve bone density

· Starting is actually super easy! There are so many resources out there!

Hopefully, this helps you see why lifting weights is so beneficial for women! Side note: This post was not made to make you think cardio is evil. It’s totally not! I love a good cardio workout. Both cardio and strength training are so beneficial for your well-being. Both also play different roles depending on what your goals are. Be on the lookout for another blog post explaining the benefits of cardio 😊 I just wanted to put this post together to explain why women shouldn’t be afraid of weights since I always get the “I just want to be lean, not bulky” goal thrown at me. So, I am hoping this helps clear up some of those strength training myths.

Are you wanting to get into strength training but still not sure where to start? Reach out to me! Let me help you build the confidence you need to hit the weights and start seeing the results you have been wanting all along!

- Body By Riss