If any of you know me personally, or even just follow me on Instagram, then you've probably figured out by now that I am very passionate about Health and Fitness. I'm particularly passionate about female weight-training. Two years ago, on a Sunday off of work, I was literally dragged to a bodybuilding Gym in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. Until that day, I had never set foot in a Gym. I didn't think I needed to, what with an 'okay' figure and what I thought to be a healthy lifestyle. However, that day became the first of many and despite many set backs and pauses in my fitness journey, I have always ended up back in the gym lifting them weights! Not everyone understands why I go to the gym, including the majority of my friends and my entire family. Sometimes I find myself getting criticized by others, which isn't a bad thing. It gives me the opportunity to explain things that they do not understand. A little while back I posted a ranting post on Instagram about common misconceptions associated with women weight training. So, I decided to put together a little list of reasons why women should lift. Enjoy.
- Lifting heavy weights as part of a workout routine increases your metabolic rate.
Metabolism refers to how much energy your body uses, or how many calories you burn. Metabolic rate is the rate at which your body uses energy during rest. Yes, you burn calories during rest. Metabolic rate differs from one person to another. Some may have a slightly faster, or slower, metabolic rate than others - this can partly be down to genetics. However, scientists have recognized that just like high intensity cardio, weight training can have a significant increasing effect on the metabolic rate for up to a phenomenal 39 hours after weight training! That's crazy! Regular cardio, on the other hand, only spikes metabolism rate during exercise, returning to it's regular rate afterwards. - More muscle mass = Faster fat burning.
The more muscle a woman has, the more calories she will burn during rest. This is simply because muscle is more metabolically active than fat is. One pound of muscle burns approximately 5-6 calories during rest, whereas one pound of fat burns around 1-2 calories at rest. That's roughly three times as much! Also, it's important to remember that muscle is denser than fat. So, one pound of muscle takes up less space than one pound of fat. The above two points could actually be likened to an engine. A larger engine uses up more fuel. In a similar way, larger muscles burn more calories/fat. - Weight training builds curves.
Regular cardio is okay for fat burning. I say okay, because high intensity cardio or weight training are proven to be significantly more effective options for fat loss (as we've already covered). Still, long periods of cardio are evidently beneficial for your heart, and we all know how vital an organ that is. Too much cardio without weight training, however, will result in loss of muscle as well as fat. If you like the skinny, no curves look then go ahead, this is the route for you. However, if you want to lose fat but still keep your bum and chest intact then look no further, weight training is what you need! It's ironic that, when I have had a break from weight training and eating clean, my bum actually gets smaller rather than bigger. Living in a world where we are bombarded with images of the likes of Jenifer Lopez, Nicki Minaj and Iggy Azalea, gone are the days of 'Does my bum look big in this?'. Now we find ourselves asking our best friends, husbands, mothers and daughters, 'Is my bum big enough?'. I take pride in my curves. By curves, I'm not referring to rolls of fat, I'm referring to the natural curvature of my feminine features; my hips and my chest. Weight training the appropriate areas ensures that, whilst making your waist smaller and lowering you body fat percentage, you're building Beyoncè-worthy curves where you want them. What more can a girl want? There's good reason why they say squats are a girls best friend! - Better health.
There are so many health benefits to weight training that if I listed them all I'd bore you (if I haven't already). Here are some of my favorites. Correct application of weight training promotes better posture and protection of the joints. This leads to better mobility later on in life. Increased density of bones which therefore means a reduced risk of osteoporosis. The prevention, or control, of chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and back pain. Of course, without the correct guidance, you may endanger your health whilst weight training. I will always recommend to seek assistance from a professional when you begin any fitness journey, especially weight training. Having said all of this, cardio has many health benefits also. Many similar to the above, but the main one being it's benefits to the cardiovascular system. - Independence.
You don't have to be a feminist to be independent. Many women will pounce on me for saying this, but men are always going to be the stronger sex. Generally, men are built to be a lot more stronger physically and emotionally than we are. On the other hand, we are stronger in different areas, we each have our roles. After almost two years of weight training, I still can't beat my brother or my Dad in an arm wrestle despite neither of them having lifted a weight in their life. However, through gaining some physical strength, weight training does enable women to be a little more independent than they were before. For example, I can now carry the shopping from the car to the front door without asking for help, I am free to open as many jam jars as I wish without struggling, giving in and asking Dad to open it for me. - Outer strength = Inner strength.
When you tap into your outer strength you tap in to your inner strength too. Weight training really does change your life (queue eye rolls from those who don't go to the gym). For anyone who trains, you'll know where I'm coming from. There's nothing more satisfying then beating your personal record on how heavy you can squat / arm curl / deadlift / etc, or how many reps you can now do. As you get stronger, you start achieving things in the gym you never imagined you could have done on day one. This progress gives you a huge confidence boost! It teaches you that, with determination, you can achieve things that seem impossible and this applies to life outside the gym. Weight training teaches you to set goals, planning, prioritizing and discipline, all of which can be applied to life outside the gym. It's no revelation that when you feel good on the outside, you feel good on the inside. Gym has made me the confident person I am today. I'm not cocky, I understand that I have physical limits, but I still know and appreciate my self worth. - "But Amy, you don't want to get too muscly!"
If you know me well, you'll know that when someone says this to me it grinds on me big time! Not only because it's entirely my decision how muscly I want my body to be, but also because it is a common misconception among both men and women that if a female starts weight training she'll start looking like a man. The key to building muscle as well as losing body fat is in the endocrine system - our hormones. This differs incredibly between men and women, especially when it comes to one of the key hormones in muscle building, the steroid hormone testosterone. Testosterone levels average at 7-8 times higher in adult males than in adult females. Also, women naturally have and need a higher fat percentage than men do. Essential fat (which is the minimum needed for basic physical and physiological health) is set at 10-13% for women and a far lower 2-5% for men. However, there is a lot of controversy between health professionals on healthy fat percentage so don't go aiming for a low fat percentage that could potentiality put your health in danger. So, to clear things up a little, unless you are injecting anabolic steroids, taking testosterone boosters and fat burners, I can assure you, you will not be looking like a man anytime soon! - Gym makes you happy!
This goes for any kind of physical exercise whether it's running on the treadmill, a zumba class, or lifting weights. Physical exercise releases chemicals called Endorphins which interact with the receptors in your brain to reduce perception of pain and trigger a positive feeling in the body. The word Endorphin actually is an abbreviated term for Endogenous Morphine, which is morphine that is produced naturally in the body. If any of you have taken morphine before (I did whilst in Hospital) you'll remember that euphoric feeling. This is the similar feeling you get after a good workout at the gym. For me, the gym is my therapy. It makes me happier, it destresses me when I've had enough and it helps me have a more positive outlook on life. Mental health professionals around the world describe physical exercise as one of the most effective but misused therapies for depression and anxiety.
I'm no Scientist, I'm not a qualified personal trainer and I wouldn't class my self as a professional on any level. Some of the above may not be entirely accurate, although I have done my best to ensure that it is. As I said previously in this post, always seek the opinion of a professional before embarking on any physical exercise routine. Weight training has been one of the major things that keep me sane in this system of things. However, what's important to remember is that spiritual things should always come first. It's essential to get your priorities right in order to lead a happy and fulfilling life, that's why I end this (hopefully motivational) post on a quote from one of the best books to have ever been written.
"For physical exercise is good for a little, but godly devotion is beneficial for all things, as it holds promise of the life now and the life that is to come." - 1 Timothy 4:8