Strength Training For Women

When you hear about strength training, bodybuilders with hulk-like physiques might come to mind. Many ladies conclude that strength training isn't for them as a result of this. Put down the weights but not yet! In addition to making you stronger, adding a resistance to your workout has numerous positive effects on women's health.

Strength training makes muscles operate against a weight or force and develops strength. Anaerobic exercise is resistance training. Utilizing free weights, weight machines, resistance bands, and your body weight are some of the several techniques of strength training. 

Importance of Strength Training For Women:

Women have consistently benefited more from strength training than from aerobic exercises like running and cycling over time.

This kind of training is one of the best things you can do for your health as a fitness regimen to get in shape or as a method to carve out time for yourself during the week.

Strength training, specifically weightlifting, has numerous components, but at its core, it consists of leveraging your body weight against you or including some simple weights in your exercise regimen. Here are a few advantages of strength training for your wellbeing:

1. A better-functioning body

Cardio may be the preferred method for burning fat, but it doesn't help you develop the muscles your body needs for daily motions. Here’s the good news...if you build muscle, you will burn fat!

2. Lowered danger of heart diseases

Physical activity and disease prevention go hand in hand. Strength training consistently may bring down circulatory strain and further develop cholesterol levels, bringing down the gamble of coronary illness in ladies. All adults should engage in resistance exercise for two or more days, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

3. Improved skeletal health

Due to lower estrogen & progesterone levels, post-menopausal women are more likely to have a bone mass loss, which increases their chance of  developing bone conditions like osteoporosis. Strength training is crucial for women since they lose bone mass more quickly and at a younger age than males, necessitating bone remodeling.

4. Decreased anxiety and enhanced self-esteem

Having health issues? Strength training may be beneficial. Feelings of anxiety have been displayed to diminish with regular physical activity. While jogging may be therapeutic for some, others may find that repeated muscle movements are a more effective way to get stress out. Resistance training at a low to direct power has been shown to be the best technique for bringing down nervousness.

Additionally, strength training has been shown to boost self-esteem, particularly in women. Men's perceptions of their bodies are observed to improve when they are having a positive training experience. Women report feeling better about their bodies  when they notice a real improvement in their strength.

5. Lower your chances of arthritis, back discomfort, and injuries

In addition to making muscles stronger, weight exercise makes bones denser. The possibility of fractures and shattered bones is decreased. Additionally, it  strengthens connective tissues and boosts joint stability, both of which promote injury prevention.

Additionally, weight lifting can build a sturdy and healthy spine by increasing the density of the spinal bones. This can be a woman's best line of defense against osteoporosis when combined with an appropriate intake of dietary calcium. Building a strong back and core will also help avoid any lower back pain, and it can also be used to improve poor posture.

How does strength training differ for women?

There is no difference in strength training for men and women. To increase muscular growth, strength, and endurance, you can try resistance band  exercises or use your weight, dumbbells, and other weights.

Progressive overload is when you add resistance to your workouts and gradually increase this resistance over time, such as by raising the weight of your dumbbells. The use of weighted plates, kettlebells, and barbells are other kinds of resistance. This works for both men and women because it causes your muscles to adapt and promotes them to get stronger over time.

However, one aspect of weight training that separates men and women is that women typically recover more quickly than men do because of higher estrogen levels. Women can transition between sets more quickly while still exerting the same amount of effort. Due to variations in the levels of circulating hormones like estrogen, women may also notice that their performance, metabolic rate, and recovery change throughout their cycle.

Despite this, men and women have very different levels of training. According to research from the University of Northern Iowa, just around 20% of women routinely engage in any type of strength training, with body image being one of the biggest obstacles, compared to 50% of males.

Final thoughts

Although many women find lifting weights scary, strength training is one of the best kinds of exercise for female athletes. There are many myths about women lifting weights or doing strength training, but as the fitness industry evolves, more and more women are doing strength training, becoming stronger, and feeling fitter.

We've all been beginners when it comes to strength training, so don't let your fear of beginning keep you from incorporating this healthy kind of exercise into your life.