Girls lift Weights TOO!

Many women fear resistance training, believing that it will add bulk to their physique and make them appear masculine. Even those who realise it is an important part of an exercise regime may still feel apprehensive about approaching weights. It could be the very large, scantily clad men huffing and puffing in the weight area - or it could simply be that you have no idea where to begin or what to do!

We are here to help you understand why you need to lift weights, how to begin and how to progress with your workouts.

The Science Bit

The rate at which our body burns calories is known as our metabolic rate. This rate can be affected by many factors, one of which is the amount of lean muscle tissue your body contains. Every pound of muscle in the body burns 5-10Kcal (American College of Sports Medicine) for muscle maintenance. But as we age, we naturally lose muscle tissue, and therefore our resting metabolism (the amount of calories your body burns to keep all systems going day in and out) decreases by 2-5% per decade. So if you don’t take preventative measures, you will see your body become heavier and ‘flabbier’ as you age.

More Reasons to Get Lifting!

So we have established a need to resistance train – we need to prevent our body losing muscle mass in order to keep our metabolism high. But there are other gains to be made! Resistance training can offer some help in the fight against osteoporosis – the stress of the muscle pulling against the bone helps with building bone density. Weight lifting can also help balance your appearance – for example, by building some definition into your shoulders, you can balance out wide hips making your silhouette appear slimmer. You will also have more general strength to carry out your daily activities.

The Next Step

So how do you begin a weight training regime? Firstly, as a complete beginner you will need to pre-condition your body. That means give your body a period of gentle training with light weights in order for it to ‘acclimatise’.

The ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) has recently updated its guidelines for health and fitness and now recommends 8–10 strength training exercises, 8–12 repetitions of each exercise, twice a week.

Below, I list 5 basic exercises which can be done at home…

The Squat - Bottom & Thighs

Stand with feet hip width apart, hands on your hips and back straight.

Bend your knees to 90 degrees, leaning your body forward. Keep your knees in line with your feet and heels down.

Push back up to the start position and repeat.

The Lunge - Bottom & Thighs

Stand with one foot a stride's length in front of the other, hips forward and arms by your side.
Keep your back straight as you bend your knees to bring your front knee over your front foot.
Return to the start position and repeat – hold weights for extra resistance.

Basic Ab Crunch - Abdominals

Lie on your back with knees bent, feet on the floor and hands behind your ears.

Exhale to slowly curl your shoulders forward towards your knees.

Inhale to slowly lower. Keep abs tight throughout and lower back on the floor.

Tricep Dip – Back of the Arm

Find a sturdy bench or chair, and place your hands on the edge. Your back is straight and close to the chair and your knees bent to a right angle.

Slowly lower your bottom down until your arms form a right angle and push back up until the arms are almost straight.

Press Up – Chest, Shoulders, Arms

Place your hands under your shoulders (or slightly wider to work the chest more). Beginners keep knees on the mat, more advanced exercisers keep knees up and body in a straight line with your weight on your toes.

Bend your arms to lower your body, ensuring you keep your abs pulled in and your spine straight.
Exhale to push back up to the start position.

All of the above are excellent resistance exercises which use your own body weight for the resistance. If you have a gym nearby, you will find many machines and free weights that you can use to add more variety. Ask a gym instructor for help before you try something new.

With resistance training quality is more important than quantity, and you should perform good quality repetitions with a weight heavy enough to tire your muscle by the end of your session. And don’t worry – you will not end up looking like a big, bulky man! It is not easy for women to build large muscles as we do not have the necessary hormones.

Follow a simple regime at least twice a week (avoiding working the same muscle on two consecutive days) combined with some cardiovascular exercise and, of course, stick to your healthy Weight Watchers food plan, and you will be on your way to a slimmer, trimmer, stronger you!