Benefits of lifting for women?

QueenJellyBean

Hi all. I'm very serious about changing my life for the better. I'm eating properly and walking every day and after only one month I feel a million times better.

I've noticed that a lot of women in this community do weights based training. I'm very curious. What are the benefits of this compared to just cardio? Do you do cardio and weights?

I've always thought of weights as a 'guy' thing but I suspect I might really like feeling my body get stronger.

Ladies - why do you lift?

joybedford

I lift because muscle is pretty it makes you look better more compact and curvy. You won't bulk you don't have the right hormones but you will look much better. Also muscle burns more calories so you can eat more, bonus. It's the key to dropping body fat and getting the lean look you desire. I also run and dance most lifters don't but I enjoy running. I have lost my way recently but starting next week I intend to run 3 days a week and lift 3 days a week. I believe the cardio helps drop body fat but it isn't necessary for me it's a stress reliever.

LeanButNotMean44

Strong bones, strong muscles, more efficient calorie burn - these are just a few benefits of lifting. As Joy mentioned above, it is the key to getting lean! As someone who used to do TONS of cardio only, I will tell you in no uncertain terms that if I could do it over again, I would have started lifting a long time ago. Since I started lifting, I look AND feel better than I ever did when all I did was run.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Because in a deficit lifting helps to preserve your muscle while you diet down, so you end up with a lower body fat percentage when you hit your goal weight than you would have had if you'd just dieted or dieted with cardio alone. If you're at maintenance or in a surplus, lifting helps build muscle. Muscle is what makes you look tighter and less flabby. In the above pic you can see what a year of heavy lifting has done for me-- I've gained 5 lbs and I'm a pants size smaller.

lavendy17

Because in a deficit lifting helps to preserve your muscle while you diet down, so you end up with a lower body fat percentage when you hit your goal weight than you would have had if you'd just dieted or dieted with cardio alone. If you're at maintenance or in a surplus, lifting helps build muscle. Muscle is what makes you look tighter and less flabby. In the above pic you can see what a year of heavy lifting has done for me-- I've gained 5 lbs and I'm a pants size smaller.

You look amazing!
Thanks for the inspiration.

jaeone

Because in a deficit lifting helps to preserve your muscle while you diet down, so you end up with a lower body fat percentage when you hit your goal weight than you would have had if you'd just dieted or dieted with cardio alone. If you're at maintenance or in a surplus, lifting helps build muscle. Muscle is what makes you look tighter and less flabby. In the above pic you can see what a year of heavy lifting has done for me-- I've gained 5 lbs and I'm a pants size smaller.

This^^ enough said! (Excellent results!)

Myhaloslipped

In addition to all of the above reasons, I have found that I see results so much faster with lifting than I do with cardio alone. I think you would love it, and it sounds like you are already off to a great start with your exercise!

skinnyinnotime

I used to do loads of cardio and then starting doing body strength stuff like Jillian MIchaels, then did Chalean Xtreme. Read loads on here about SL 5x5, did that for a while. Had really good results with CLX and SL, squats helped my lower body lotst! I've now switched to Jamie Eason LiveFit.

I really prefer weight lifting to cardio, I find cardio boring now. Sometimes I do bootcamp classes for the cardio aspect.

Lifting can help prevent bone density diminishing, makes you strong, it's fun and makes you look good lol!

QueenJellyBean

Thanks for all the information everyone! This is definitely something I want to add to my program. One more quick question.

I know you are supposed to have rest days after lifting. Does this mean no walking the next day? I usually walk for an hour at a speed fast enough to make me puffed out.

Ps those pics are AMAZING!!

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Thanks for all the information everyone! This is definitely something I want to add to my program. One more quick question.

I know you are supposed to have rest days after lifting. Does this mean no walking the next day? I usually walk for an hour at a speed fast enough to make me puffed out.

Ps those pics are AMAZING!!

Generally walking is going to be fine. You don't want to have two lifting days where you work the same muscle groups back to back. But it's pretty normal to have cardio days in between. I've done something like this before:

Monday: upper body
Tuesday: long run
Wednesday upper body
Thursday: lower body
Friday: rest
Saturday: lower body
Sunday: short run

Get the idea?

tgmichelleee

Benefits of lifting for women: look sexy, feel sexy, and its pretty bad *kitten* to say that you do :smokin: lol

As for your question about rest days, I tend to like doing light cardio to get the lactic acid moving and I've found that it does help with soreness. But I think you should listen to your body and experiment to really answer that question because it does vary for everyone. If you feel good enough, then go for it and see how you feel after and how it affects your next lift.

RaggedyPond

Being badass

SugaryLynx

I lift to look sexy and feel like a bad *kitten*♡

SweatSmileRepeat

I lift 5 days a week. My small amount of cardio...I do the other 2 days. Honestly, you don't really need to do cardio. Just lift weights on a deficit caloric intake. I love the body it's giving me. It's probably one of the best things I've ever done. I have not lost weight in the last 2ish months but it's because I've lost fat and gained muscle. I started lifting about 4 months ago.


Go lift, ladies!

WakkoW

Other than just looking better, I think that strong bones is the best reason to lift. I want to grow old with grace.

Continue to walk on your days off. I would say to walk on the days you lift too. I lift 4 days a week and run four days (a couple of days I lift and run on the same day) with one day "off". But even on the "off" day, I try to get at least 15,000 steps in.

Sarahliquid

Because in a deficit lifting helps to preserve your muscle while you diet down, so you end up with a lower body fat percentage when you hit your goal weight than you would have had if you'd just dieted or dieted with cardio alone. If you're at maintenance or in a surplus, lifting helps build muscle. Muscle is what makes you look tighter and less flabby. In the above pic you can see what a year of heavy lifting has done for me-- I've gained 5 lbs and I'm a pants size smaller.

Yup this ^ and being able to eat way more!

CoderGal

Hi all. I'm very serious about changing my life for the better. I'm eating properly and walking every day and after only one month I feel a million times better.

I've noticed that a lot of women in this community do weights based training. I'm very curious. What are the benefits of this compared to just cardio? Do you do cardio and weights?

I've always thought of weights as a 'guy' thing but I suspect I might really like feeling my body get stronger.

Ladies - why do you lift?

I hated lifting at first but now I love it. I picked it up because I have arthritis and a history of osteoporosis in my family. If you want to learn about the benefits many human kinetic and recreation textbooks at university list many.

Inches and firmness is one of the popular ones. To get firmer you need to do something progressively. After so much running this becomes hard. Before I started lifting I was running and it just wasn't working out for me fast enough and the repetitiveness of it all just wasn't good on my joints. The more you lift the more your body realizes you don't want to get rid of muscle, you want to get rid of fat (because you need the muscle). Another misconception is that you'll bulk up on a strength training program. This is nearly impossible, it's more likely you'll still lose muscle, even after taking preventative measures.

Lifting can actually make your bones stronger and increase skeletal muscle. I had a very bad back when I started, and that diminishes the more I lift. I guess because my body is strong enough to support my funny spine problems now (there are a few to many disks fused together).

It can also increase your cardiovascular system and just fitness in general. Improve the amount of oxygen that goes to your limbs, strengthens your heart, etc. It makes a healthier you. It makes climbing up stairs a walk in the park.

With the lean muscle mass retained from lifting, you're resting metabolic rate ends up being faster. So taking a nap on the couch will burn you more calories then the running version of you.

Cardio is also great. It helps your cardiovascular system, your lungs, etc. It helps running through parking lots a breeze. But progressive is key here...and it's really hard to push your body with your body weight in the same way you can push it with an additional 100 lbs. So running up hills will get you better results firmness wise then running on a straight treadmill if you're losing weight. Cardio is great for creating quick large calorie deficits. Which is useful if we're not eating all the food back.

I find a lot of people here do the cardio bunny thing and take a 'try' at lifting when they're almost done and regret they didn't do it the whole way threw. There are some phenomenal womenly lifting bodies on this site. I wish I became one sooner!

Both progressive heavy lifting and cardio help improve fitness, quality of life, etc. It's a good idea to include both. But I think many people who give lifting a fair chance end up obsessed with the results and throw cardio out the window, me being one of them Unless there's hiking, then there's pretty stuff to look at

tl;dr: I lift for my bones, to be stronger, and thinner at a heavier weight doing heavy lifting.

Notice how lifting made an extra flap of material at the front of my shirt

rebalee8

While I second all of the things above, the biggest benefit to me for lifting is mental.
When I finish a strength workout I feel amazing.
I feel strong and healthy and energized and motivated.
It's like a meditation for me.
An hour spent lifting flies by.
And when I'm finished, I can take on the world.

QueenJellyBean

Thank you everyone for your fantastic responses. I'm now super excited to get lifting. I've made an appointment with my gym for a new lifting program. Wish me luck!!

_HeartsOnFire_

Hi all. I'm very serious about changing my life for the better. I'm eating properly and walking every day and after only one month I feel a million times better.

I've noticed that a lot of women in this community do weights based training. I'm very curious. What are the benefits of this compared to just cardio? Do you do cardio and weights?

I've always thought of weights as a 'guy' thing but I suspect I might really like feeling my body get stronger.

Ladies - why do you lift?

I want to feel stronger. After 4 sessions I do feel a lot stronger and I feel kinda like a bada$$

BusyRaeNOTBusty

Maintain muscle while dieting = lose more fat
Be strong (lift kids, groceries, furniture easier)
Denser bones = better aging
Eat more
Muscles are pretty

SummerRain43

<<<<<<....this!!!....and everything everyone mentioned above....and I'm almost 44!!!!:)

CallMeCupcakeDammit

I lift to be stronger and feel like a badass, and to maintain muscle while I lose fat. Here is some more inspiration from what's already been posted.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/987513-lifting-is-the-most-horrible-thing-to-a-woman-since-twiggy

manderson27

I am 57 with a back problem, I lift because it makes my core muscles stronger and this supports my back so I have fewer flare ups. It also helps to support my joints so as I go into old age hopefully I will be more flexible . I love how strong it makes me feel and it changes your body shape fast, your muscle tighten up and pulls everything in so you lose inches.

I also like to be able to open my own jars.:drinker:

Mouse_Potato

<<<<<<....this!!!....and everything everyone mentioned above....and I'm almost 44!!!!:)

This^^^

<<<<<And these legs will be forty next week. Do it, girl!

SezxyStef

If nothing else I love how it makes me look.

But in all seriousness stronger bones as I age, stronger period which is a benefit when getting wood for the winter, tending to my garden, lifting heavy grocery bags, wrestling with my man child (aka son) or husband.

You can weigh a higher scale weight and still be smaller than other women of the same size, stuff doesn't "jiggle"

Inches melt away even if the pounds don't....

This is what 6 months of lifting has done for me...note the weight difference is only 17lbs but I went from a size 16 to a size 5/6 (weight currently is 157) and I have lost a total of 21 inches since I started resistence training.


Lifting is very empowering as well...people don't screw with you...aka bad *kitten*.
I find I carry myself with an air of confidence (always was confident but now it's even more so)

Don't wait either until you are closer to goal...start now...

ETA: I am almost 42...got mistaken for a 32 year old last week....:drinker:

summertime_girl

There's a lot of benefits, but here's one quick example. I am the same height as my younger sister. She weighs 20 pounds less than I do. I wear a 6 in jeans, she wears a 10.

CMoeDee

Why do I lift?

Sweet lats.
I can be a hermit and still get a good workout.
Filled out shoulders makes my waist look smaller.
I CAN OPEN ALL OF THE JARS.
Costco run comes inside in one trip.

And this is just me, maybe, but it's evened out my weight loss to a steady 1-1.2 lbs/week, instead of the 2 lb, no lbs, 1.3 lbs I was doing with diet and medium cardio. Much better for me and all of my feelings.