The Benefits of Weight Training for Women
Weight training for women has many benefits. Training has a positive impact on bone density, a potential to burn more calories compared to conventional ‘cardio’, reduce the risk of certain heart diseases and cardiovascular issues, to name a few.
One common misconception is that resistance training or lifting weights will make you “the incredible hulk’! But let me tell you, I have been training hard for several years and – much to my disappointment – I am not mistaken for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson at the gym. Hormonally, women do not have the same genetic make-up as men, so it is harder for them to add the amount of muscle tissue that men can. Most notably, the presence of testosterone levels in males compared to females is seven to eight times greater. (Testosterone is – one of – the muscle-building hormones)
Why do you need more lean muscle? Or increase strength? In this blog I am going to give a more concise insight into why
When people come to train with us at The Cut, we want to not only help them achieve their goals but help them understand how we do that. There is a lot of misleading information available, and often with the plethora of different machines and exercises, it can become challenging to identify what is best for you. We always come back to the goal of the exercise and relate it to the individual. In this blog, we are going to look at what we believe are the top three benefits of resistance training for women.
Burning Fat By developing your muscles through a resistance training programme, the body’s ability to burn fat becomes more efficient. Your body will have to work harder to maintain muscle mass and can burn more calories to do this. Also, Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) occurs. Simply this means after your workout, your body’s metabolism can continue to burn more calories. This Oxygen is needed to restore the body to its normal (homeostasis). So even after working out, your potentially still burning more calories.
Increased Bone Density- As we all age, our bone mass density declines gradually. Osteoporosis is four times more likely to develop in women compared to men. Resistance training by stressing your bones means that your bone density can increase. Studies suggest that it is essential for the maintenance and improvement of bone health to engage in physical activity, particularly weight-bearing exercise.
Increased Strength- Increasing strength can help the body be less susceptible to injury, by gaining stronger and more efficient musculature and potentially taking less stress off joints. Resistance training can also develop mental strength. Through staying committed to both training & diet the body releases endorphins which can combat stress and boost your mood.