Your Guide to Strength Training for Women
(Image: Mireya Acierto/DigitalVision/GettyImages)
It used to be that the
weight room of most gyms was filled solely with men (and the occasional brave
female). But recently, women have begun to skew that ratio more in their favor. And with good reason! There are so many
great reasons to add strength training to your fitness routine, regardless of
your gender, but specifically for women.
Benefits of Strength Training for Women
While there are a host
of benefits of strength
training for both men and women, strength training is
especially beneficial for women.
1. Improving Bone Health: Strength training is one of your best strategies for
keeping your bones healthy as you age, according to a 2009 review in Clinical Cases in Mineral
and Bone Metabolism.
"Simply the
pushing and pulling of the muscles against your skeleton stimulates osteoblast
activity, which are the cells of the bone that create bone growth,"
says Holly Perkins,
CSCS, author of Lift to Get Lean.
For women, shoring up
bone strength is especially important. In fact, approximately 80 percent of the
estimated 10 million Americans currently living with osteoporosis are women,
and roughly half the women over the age of 50 will break a bone because of
osteoporosis, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
2. Maintaining Muscle Mass: Women
start to lose muscle mass around the age of 40. If you don't do something about
it, you'll keep losing muscle every decade until roughly 50 percent is gone by
your 80th birthday, says a 2014 review published in Current Opinion in Rheumatology. The review also cites
loss of muscle as one of the major reasons people lose independence as they
age.
3.
Burning More Calories: If it's too soon to think about that,
you might be interested to know that adding muscle to your frame can help you
burn more fat over time (provided you follow a healthy diet as well). "The
more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn throughout the day,"
says Jennifer Cohen, author of Strong Is the New Skinny.
Just how many more calories? A
2010 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reveals
that one pound of muscle burns roughly six calories per day, whereas one pound
of fat burns only two. This difference may appear minor, but every little bit
adds up.
"What strength training
does is it helps you beef up the amount of muscle you have on your body, and
then that muscle will help burn off the body fat," Perkins says. (Just
keep in mind that no amount of muscle will compensate for a poor diet.)
4.
Boosting Confidence: But the benefits of strength training
don't stop with the physical: "We've found that [strength training] is a
really fantastic way to build confidence," says Jen
Comas, NASM personal trainer and co-founder of Girls
Gone Strong.
"When we can get women
focused on strength training, it gives them a better feel for what else they're
able to accomplish in their life." In other words: Strength in the gym
often translates into strength outside of the gym as well.
Will I Get Bulky If I Lift Weights?
Now, if you're worried that strength training will make you
"bulky" or "manly," know that women in general lack the hormone levels needed to pack on muscle.
"I've yet to see any woman become an Arnold Schwarzenegger by lifting
weights," Cohen says.
That said, the definition of "bulky" will be different
from one woman to another and lifting weights will build muscle. Just how much
muscle and where you'll see it the most depends on your routine and genetics.
If you're genuinely worried about adding muscle, start with whatever weight you
feel comfortable with and increase from there.
"We really let the client guide themselves with that and
try to be respectful of their concerns," Comas says, "rather than our
old way, which used to be to dismiss them and try to rush someone into lifting
heavy."
How to Get Started With Strength
Training
Starting a new routine or activity can be exciting
— and confusing. "Often times we see women who are really excited, they
want to get started, but they get to the gym and they have no idea what to
do," Comas says. "They find themselves just kind of wandering around,
which is not a good headspace to be in."
The best way to avoid aimless
wandering is to get your hands on a strength training program or work one-on-one with
a certified personal trainer. Start by asking for recommendations from friends,
family and colleagues, and go from there.
If you're not ready for a
full-fledged program just yet, start by incorporating five to 10 minutes of
strength training into your routine once or twice a week, Cohen says. You could
try push-ups (on your knees or incline is just fine), body-weight squats,
lunges and anything else you can think of (just make sure you look up or ask
about proper form before trying anything completely new).
"If you get intimidated or
overwhelmed, just do something to begin your journey," Perkins says.
"Over time, you'll learn ways to do it better."
Best Strength-Training Exercises for
Women
In general, women are capable
of following any training program designed for men (and vice versa), and
according to Comas, any good exercise program will include exercises that cover
the basic movement patterns:
·
Squat
·
Lunge
·
Hinge (ex. deadlift)
·
Upper-body pull (ex. bent-over row)
·
Upper-body push (ex. push-up)
·
Twist (ex. cable cross-overs)
·
Carry (ex. Farmer's carry)
That said, it can be helpful
for women to place extra focus on their posterior chain, or the muscles that
make-up the back of the body (i.e. glutes, hamstrings, lats). "[Women]
tend to be wider at the hips, so to make sure we keep our bodies balanced and knees
healthy, we want to do work for the glutes and hamstrings," Comas says.
(Think: glute bridges, Romanian deadlifts and hamstring curls.)
Also, be sure not to neglect
your upper-body. "Women tend to focus on their lower half," Cohen
says. "In reality, if [women] focused on their upper-body more, they would
look leaner, because the first thing your eye goes to is the shoulders, arms
and neck."
In addition to the visual
appeal of having a strong upper half, putting more attention into the back and shoulder muscles in particular will help
counteract all the hours we spend sitting at a computer during the day.
"We're constantly hunched
over and it's terrible for our posture and our spine," Cohen says.
Exercises like overhead presses, lat pulldowns, lateral raises and pull-ups
(modified is fine) are just a few great posture-strengthening exercises to look
for in any program.
(Image: Peter Griffith/The Image Bank/GettyImages)
How to Not Be Intimidated in the
Weight Room
It's not uncommon for women to feel intimidated when they enter the weight room
for the first time. If this is you, you're not alone. "Most people don't
really know what they're doing," Perkins says, "so that really levels
the playing field." Still, there are ways to feel a little more
comfortable when you do step out on the gym floor.
1.
Go During Slower Times: Most gyms have a pre- and
post-work rush, and can get pretty busy. If you can avoid the crowds, you might
feel less intimidated, Comas says.
2.
Wear Something Comfortable: Don't wear something just
because you think it's what you're supposed to wear. After all, nothing is
worse than trying to work out when you don't feel comfortable in your own
clothes. And keep in mind that what feels comfortable will be different for
every person. "Some people might feel their best in tights and a crop top,
while other people might want to wear a hat and baggy sweats," Comas says.
3.
Start With One Set of Weights: Another great tactic is
to find a routine that only requires one set of weights to complete. This way, you can grab
your dumbbells at the beginning of your workout and find a quiet corner to do
your routine. "That's a good way to get acclimated to the environment
without having to hunt for equipment," Comas notes.
4.
Take Baby Steps: If you can't work up the courage to get to the gym in the
first place, take baby steps. One week, put on your workout clothes and do a workout at home. The next week, put on your
workout clothes and drive to the gym — without going inside. Take it one step
at a time and work up to that day when you finally go in and do your first workout.
"It sounds so trivial, but it can be incredibly impactful," Comas
says.
5.
Find a Gym Buddy: If you can, recruit a friend to join you. "Everything is
less scary if you've got a friend or some type of support system with
you," Comas says.
Finally, know that you have
every right to be in the weight room. If anyone ever makes you feel
uncomfortable, or like you don't belong in that space, don't be afraid to talk
to management, Comas says.
Comments