Author: Gaby Keane
Walk into any campus gym and it’s likely to look something like this: a cardio section filled with females on the machines and a free weight section full of males. Well, it’s time for that to change. Why? Because there are countless beneficial reasons why women should be incorporating weight lifting into their exercise routines.
Many women are afraid to get started lifting weights because they’re unsure what to do and how to do it right. But guess what? Once you learn a little bit about lifting weights, you’ll see that half the boys are doing their endless sets of bicep curls wrong.
First, let’s get one common misconception out of the way. Ladies, if you lift weights you will not look manly. Those women who you see packed with shredded muscle on covers of fitness magazines or in bodybuilding competitions have worked for years on strength training and nutrition specifically to look that way (and are sometimes using the help of steroids to get there). If you lift weights, you can sculpt your body to a place you’re happy with – not this (not that there’s anything wrong with this look!).
That leads us into one of the main reasons lifting is awesome – the aesthetic benefits. Steady state cardio (think running on the treadmill or elliptical at the same speed) will burn calories and keep your heart healthy, but it will not change the shape of your body. With lifting, pancake butts can be transformed into glorious round peaches; legs can be lengthened and leaned out; chests and shoulders can be defined; and an hourglass shape can be created on any sort of body. This is possible due to the widening of the back through the working of the lat muscles, and widening of the glutes, which creates the illusion of a smaller waist and, therefore, that hourglass shape.
So, you’ll look fit and strong. Already great. But guess what? You’ll also be able to eat more. Lifting weights will increase your basal metabolic rate because, to put it simply, the more muscle you have on your body (lean body mass), the more calories you’re burning at rest. The more you lift, the more you can eat, which will lead to you lifting more and eating more late-night CTP in what is a truly beautiful cycle.
Looking to trim down? Many people think cardio is king when it comes to fat loss, but this isn’t true. Lifting weights causes your body to use more oxygen, which requires greater calorie expenditure and an increased metabolic rate both during the training session and in the hours and days afterwards. Lifting weights will also strengthen your bones and dramatically decrease your chances for developing osteoporosis later in your life.
Finally, in my personal opinion as a former cross country runner-turned-powerlifter, an hour of lifting weights is more fun and varied than spending an hour pounding the ground in the same repetitive motion.
So now that you’ve been convinced to incorporate iron into your gym time, where do you get started? There are tons of sources available with sample workout plans and videos on proper form. One great place to start is BodyBuilding.com, which is absolutely brimming with instructive materials for specific goals for resistance training, like fat loss, increasing strength, building a booty, and many more. Use their Find a Plan tool to tailor the plan to your goals.
One important thing to remember when you first transition over to the weight side of the gym is that form is far more important than the amount of weight you’re lifting. Lifting with your ego will lead to injury, which will only slow you down on your fitness journey. It can also be much easier to get started with a friend, as you can keep each other company in the gym, be a second observer of each other’s form, and provide motivation.
Get off the elliptical and get your butt on a squat rack, and then call me in a couple months when you have more energy, better self-confidence, and an overall higher quality of life. See you at the gym.
