What women can achieve from Strength Training?
If you are looking for toned up, healthy and strong body, it is time to add up strength training in your workout routine. Strength and conditioning training helps your body and bones stay strong, make you lose weight, keep you healthy and most importantly you will look and feel good. It is also helpful in many health problems like arthritis or hearth diseases etc. The best thing about strength training workout is that it is recommended for all ages.
Strength training for women is equally beneficial for both genders. There are certain myths regarding women strength training which you might need to know about before starting your strength training regime.
- Women get bulky
Getting bulky is the biggest misperception prevails in women regarding strength training. Lifting weights never makes you bulky. All those female body builders who have those big bulging muscles actually eat more calories and undergo those bodybuilding exercises to get bigger. Lifting weights and following a diet plan with calorie deficit never makes you bigger but rather makes your muscles strong and toned.
- Men and women should train differently
This is another myth that women need to train and lift differently than men. Most professional trainers make their clients go through the same set of training workouts both for men and women. Squats, pushups, pullups, deadlifts, overhead presses etc are done both by males and females.
Due to the hormonal and genetically differences in the body of males and females, the result of these workouts is not the same. High level of estrogen prevents the body of women to become muscular instead by lifting weights and by other strength training workouts, women’s body muscles become strong, toned up and does not enlarge in size.
- Eating less is the only way to lose weight
Eating less to lose weight makes you unhappy and miserable all the time. It is very important to eat healthy and a suitable diet plan besides following a workout regime to maintain a healthy body. This will not only make you look good but you will feel better and most importantly happy!
- Strength training is not for older women
Women have this misunderstanding that when they reach the age of menopause it is inappropriate to do strength training. That is again a very big misperception. At this age there is a fear of osteoporosis in your bones, it is advisable to carry on with your strength training workouts as it preserves your bone density, improves your strength and body balance at this age.
Benefits
- Shed pounds
Strength and conditioning training helps you shed your pounds fast and with weights it is even faster. It is revealed that women who do strength training workouts using weights twice a week tend to burn more amount of calories which helps them to lose and maintain their weight.
- Protects bones and muscles
With each passing day our bones and muscles strength is getting weak. Strength training helps you protest your bones and retain your muscle strength.
- Stronger body
Strength training also known as resistance training helps your body to stay strong and fit. It tones up your muscles by confronting again a resistance force. This helps your muscles to get firm and strong.
- Disease prevention
Besides other benefits strength training helps you fight against many diseases. It helps in improving bone density for post menopause stage in women. It slows down bone deterioration process and reduces the risk of osteoporosis in women. It helps in relaxing arthritis pain. Strength training is also recommended by doctors to control glucose level for Type 2 diabetic patients. Sometimes it is advisable as well for injury rehab.
- Self-efficacy
If it is quite some time now you have started your strength training routine, you must have noticed the effect it has on your mental acuity. Besides having effects on your body it has fantastic effects on the mind as well. Your efficacy in work, social life greatly improves if you follow strength and resistance workout routine.
Tips to get the most out of strength training workouts
- Don’t work out after your meal
It is advisable not to work out right after your meal as your stomach is full it will make you feel uncomfortable. Similarly if you have not eaten anything for hours don’t exercise. It is best to work out between you meals or an hour after a snack or light meal.
- Warm up
Don’t directly start heavy exercises. It is better to warm up your body by brisk walk, jumping jacks or jog in place for 5- 10 minutes. Muscles must reach the level of being eased up during exercise.
- Right weight
Lifting too heavy weights for your body will only hurt you. It is advisable to reach the comfort level and then gradually start lifting more weight.
- Don’t make jerky movements
Hard and jerky movements are dangerous and can cause injury. Slow and controlled movements take more effort and are safer as well. To get the maximum out of each movement it is better to keep it slow and controlled.
Strength training workout is beneficial for all adults. People having health issues should take advice from the doctor or your personal trainer before starting their training regime.
Undoubtedly a healthy and strong person is capable of dealing more efficiently with stresses of work and social life. We all want to be physically and mentally strong to overcome our obstacles of daily life. Strength and conditioning training workout is the answer to most of our mental and body deficiencies.