Lifting heavy weights might seem intimidating, but its benefits are undeniable. Ladies, it's time to step out of your comfort zone and do some serious barbell training. It's time to put aside your usual dumbbells and pick up something that, at first glance, might seem almost as big as you!
Regular exercise is incomplete without strength training and lifting weights, yet many women believe weightlifting will make them look like men. However, this is not true because women do not produce as much testosterone as men, which is the hormone responsible for muscle growth. In fact, strength training will help tone and strengthen your body, making you look 10-15 years younger. Research has shown that when adult women lift weights, they feel better and have more energy compared to those who don’t. This also provides significant physical and psychological benefits. So, if you're still hesitant about weightlifting, here are some reasons that may change your mind:
1. Weightlifting Burns More Fat and Calories: Strength training or weightlifting should be added to your workout routine to help burn fat while preserving muscle mass. Weightlifting burns more fat compared to cardio exercises, and its fat-burning effect continues for a long time after leaving the gym, unlike other types of exercises.
2. Strengthening Muscles with Weightlifting: Weightlifting can increase your agility and strengthen your body, meaning it can turn your weak muscles into toned, strong ones. American scientists have concluded that combining cardio and strength training together leads to more fat loss and muscle mass gain. Once your muscle mass increases, your body will look more toned.
3. Reduces Muscle Atrophy Risk with Weightlifting: After the age of 30, muscle atrophy begins. As this occurs, the skin, hips, stomach, arms, chin, and shoulders will sag. Therefore, you need to be cautious about this from your late 20s, and the only thing that can help you is strength training with weights. Research has shown that muscle atrophy is less common in people who combine cardio and strength exercises compared to those who only do cardio.
4. Weightlifting Reduces Injury Risks: Strength training and weightlifting reduce the risk of injuries by strengthening muscles, bones, ligaments, and tendons. In fact, collagen production, which is the main fiber of connective tissue, increases with weightlifting. As a result, your bones become less brittle, and strong muscles help protect your body from injury.
5. Boosts Metabolism with Weightlifting: As we age, metabolism slows down, leading to weight gain and making it harder to lose a few pounds. To prevent this, weightlifting is highly recommended. There is a direct relationship between metabolism and muscle mass. Muscles contain mitochondria that convert glucose into usable energy. As muscle mass decreases, the number of mitochondria also reduces, slowing down metabolism. Since strength training strengthens your muscles, your metabolism will remain stable as you age.
6. Reduces the Risk of Diabetes with Weightlifting: Diabetes is a condition that can affect individuals of any age, causing many problems. Research indicates that strength training and weightlifting protect you from this disease. According to a study by Dr. Joseph D. Boestry, people with a fructose-rich diet who engage in strength training have better glucose tolerance, increased insulin sensitivity, and reduced inflammation and improved lipid profiles.
7. Weightlifting Protects Your Heart: If you suffer from heart issues, cardio might not be the best choice for you. However, scientists have proven that weightlifting can protect and improve the condition of your heart. In fact, individuals with coronary artery disease (CAD) can improve their heart rate variability (HRV) and heart muscle strength by weightlifting.
8. Weightlifting Improves Posture: Poor posture is something we are often responsible for ourselves. But you can improve your body posture by weightlifting and focusing on strength training exercises. Weightlifting helps in bone building and muscle strengthening, which corrects poor posture.
9. Weightlifting Increases Muscle Strength and Power: When you engage in strength training and weightlifting, your muscle strength and power will increase. Researchers have found that weightlifting in older women improves their muscle strength. In another study, it was found that strength training three days a week reduced participants' weight and improved their functional activities.
10. Weightlifting Boosts Energy: When you work with weights at home or at the gym, you'll notice a difference in your energy levels throughout the day. This happens because weightlifting activates all your muscle fibers, making them work effectively to convert food into energy. This helps you burn more fat and reduce inflammation in your body, making you feel lighter and more agile.
11. Weightlifting Helps Define Your Body's Curves: This is the best part of weightlifting, and no other sport can help you strengthen your muscle mass, burn fat, and accentuate body curves, such as your waist, better than lifting weights. Use dumbbells, barbells, and other weights for this purpose.
12. Increases Flexibility with Weightlifting: Weightlifting can increase muscle flexibility. The continuous stretching and contraction of muscles during exercise help strengthen bones and muscles, improving flexibility. Combine strength training with stretching exercises to maximize the benefits of weightlifting.
13. Improve Your Fitness: Your fitness level depends on your muscle and bone strength, endurance, and reaction time. If you aim to become professional in a particular sport, combining strength training with cardio will improve your performance.
14. Weightlifting Reduces Stress: Generally, exercise has a positive impact on mental health. When you lift weights at least two days a week, all your focus is on completing the repetitions correctly without injuring yourself. This focus distracts your mind from life's issues, reducing anxiety, depression, and stress. So, as you build muscle and concentrate on the slow changes in your body, you'll be free from worries and focus more on the positive aspects of life.
15. Stronger Bones: Lifting weights helps your bones become denser to support weight resistance. If you're new to weightlifting, remember that increasing bone density takes time.
16. Building Muscle Makes You Look Leaner: If you're worried that building muscle will make you look bulky, you're mistaken. Women produce only a fraction of the testosterone that men do, and testosterone is the hormone responsible for muscle mass growth. If you don't engage in professional weightlifting, there's a high chance that it will help you look leaner. Weightlifting helps you burn more fat throughout the day.
17. Improved Bone Health: Studies on over 2009 clinical cases related to mineral and bone metabolism show that strength training is one of the best strategies to maintain bone health. Holly Perkins, author of Strength Training for Fat Loss, says that muscle tension and stress stimulate osteoblast activity, which is essential for bone health. Increasing bone strength in women is crucial. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, almost 80% of the 10 million Americans currently living with osteoporosis are women, and nearly half of women over the age of 50 will suffer a bone fracture due to osteoporosis. By adding strength training to your daily routine, you can prevent the loss of muscle mass associated with aging.
18. Increased Confidence: The benefits of strength training go beyond just your physical appearance—they also affect your mental strength. When women focus on strength training, their confidence increases, and they feel better about other aspects of life. In other words, the power they gain in the gym transforms into a greater sense of empowerment outside of it.
19. Improved Sleep Quality with Weightlifting: After spending a good amount of time in the gym and working on your body, you'll sleep like a baby at night, and your muscles will rebuild and rejuvenate while you sleep. American scientists reported that older men and women who had sleep problems slept better after endurance training. So, if you're struggling with sleep and having trouble falling asleep, try weightlifting.
With these benefits, you'll shed the notion that weightlifting is a "man’s sport" and feel ready to hit the gym. Weight training will improve your physical and mental fitness over time. I hope you enjoyed reading about therapeutic exercise techniques and feel free to share this content with anyone interested in fitness. For more valuable content, visit the Sports World section of Saeed News. Thank you for your support!
