WHY WOMEN SHOULD STRENGTH TRAIN - Benefits of Lifting Heavy Part 2
Last blog discussed the mental hurdles women have to get through to show up in the weight room. This issue I will discuss the benefits of strength training for everyone, no matter what stage of fitness you are at.
Are you someone in any of these categories?
1) Trying to Lose Weight / Change Body Composition - I'm sorry to break it to you but cardio sucks at changing body composition. Any new stimulus will change your body in the beginning but cardio sends an adaption signal to your body and not muscle building, which means overtime, your body will adapt to any cardio you throw at it. Women always tell me they want to "tone" their body; that toning is muscle and to build muscle you need to strength train.
2) Improve Athletic Performance - Most athletes know that strength training increases power, agility and even endurance. Yes, even endurance athletes need strength training to improve their performance.
3) Prevent Injury - Everyone has muscular imbalances. Whether you sit at a desk all day or are a fitness addict, strength training will correct those imbalances from bad posture to overuse from your athletic pursuits.
4) Combating or Recovering from Illness - Exercise helps speed recovery from illnesses and diseases and strength training is necessary to get your body back in proper range of motion and mobility. Cancer, Parkinson's, Ehlers-Dahlos...all need some sort of strength training program.
5) Improve Quality of Life / Combat Aging - We ain't getting younger but we can feel like we are! Improve your mood, libido, sleep and overall daily function. From personal experience, everyday I strength train, I feel stronger and younger. If you have kids, you want to be able to pick them up without pulling your back, or even move furniture around with having to pop an ibuprofen after.
Strength Training doesn't have to some long, tedious, scary-looking workout in a weight room at a gym with huge dudes. To start, you can do it in the comfort of your own home with bodyweight exercises or something like a TRX. As a trainer, I will always recommend doing the major compound movements with a barbell but if you really can't get to the gym, I recommend getting a TRX and doing some basic movements I will outline in my newsletters or on my Facebook page. Once the TRX becomes too easy for you for resistance levels, then you can consider getting some weights or maybe get to your nearest gym!
