Why weightlifting is important for women

Strength training is one of the most important things to incorporate into your weekly routine. Traditionally the weights areas in gyms have been very male-dominated, which can be intimidating for women to get started with strength training, especially if you’re not sure what you should be doing and don’t have a plan to follow.

A quick scroll through Instagram or visit to your local gym these days however will show you just how much the gender gap is closing as more women are taking up weightlifting and showing that #StrongIsNotASize.

And it’s no surprise – the physical and mental health benefits of weightlifting are plentiful.

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The benefits of strength training

On the physical side: strength training translates to increased athletic endurance, fewer injuries and stronger bones and joints. A strong, solid body makes any type of physical activity easier, whether that’s walking, running, cycling, or just lugging your heavy shopping bags home and walking upstairs pain-free.

On the mental health side: ask anyone who lifts and they’ll tell you it’s a game-changer for a bad mood! Strength training brings increased confidence and self-esteem, boosted energy and decreased stress, which is something so needed right now during the pandemic.

It doesn’t matter where you’re starting from, just start.

At Revolution, we see lots of women quite nervous that they have to be in a particular shape before they get here which is absolutely not the case.

If you’re a complete beginner, in a way this is almost better for our trainers because you’re a blank slate. We can work with you from the ground up to build solid foundations and good form with no bad habits to retrain.

Whatever level you’re starting from, our trainers are used to working with women of all abilities from beginners to intermediate and advanced lifters. So whether your goal is to pick up the dumbbells for the first time or enter your first powerlifting competition, each plan is tailored to the individual with achievable targets and a progressive programme to help you get there.

Lifting weights won’t make you ‘bulky’

If your goal is to achieve a ‘toned’ physique it’s worth remembering there’s no such thing as a ‘toned’ muscle. You either have muscle, or you don’t. So the ‘toned’ physique that a lot of women are striving to achieve is actually just a more muscular physique, with less body fat.

It’s actually really hard for women to build enough muscle to ‘bulk out’. For a start, women have much less testosterone than men which is a huge factor for muscle growth, and secondly, to get really big and ‘bulky’ you have to put a lot of effort in and eat a LOT, being very strict with the type of foods you eat.

Thirdly, it depends on your body type to how you’ll react to strength training. Everyone is different, but one thing remains the same for all body shapes and sizes: regular weight training will change your body shape and the increased muscle will help you to burn more calories and ultimately more body fat – which can only be a good thing!

It’s a learning process – and learning feels good!

With strength training you learn so much about yourself in lots of ways, not just how to do new lifts safely and progressively, but also how resilient, focused and strong you can really be, both in and out of the gym.

For us as trainers, it’s so rewarding to be able to teach women new things that they’ve never done before. When it comes to weightlifting, every day is a chance to learn something new about yourself, and we love how all of our clients (both women and men) leave the studio feeling empowered and proud of what they’ve achieved, excited about the (achievable) onward journey to their end goal.

Start your weightlifting journey with us

Revolution is a fully inclusive, supportive and non-judgemental space. There’s no need to be nervous about not being fit enough or strong enough before you come to us. It’s our job to help you get to where you want to be and we start from wherever you are at that moment in time.

So if you’d like to get started, sign up now for a free taster session at your local Revolution Personal Training Studio

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