Women and Weightlifting: What You Should Know
I’m not sure about you, but growing up (and even now!!) I was told that girls shouldn’t try to lift heavy weights- you’ll get bulky, you’ll look like a man, you’ll hurt yourself- blah blah blah. And honestly, for a while, I believed it! I avoided weights like the plague and stuck to the treadmill. After years of striving to be a runner and realizing I HATE running (no shade to runners… but it is not for me), I picked up a barbell and never looked back. Lifting heavy changed my life, and it might change yours too. So if you’re interested in feeling your best, walking into a weight room and owning the place, or just seeing incredible changes in your body composition, keep reading.
What exactly is weight training?
I’m sure we all know at least a little bit about weight training; it’s a form of strength training that focuses on developing the strength and size of your muscles through, you guessed it, lifting weights. Weight training utilizes barbells (those long, 45-pound bars that are on squat racks), dumbbells, machines, kettlebells, bodyweight exercises, or a mixture of all of these to focus on increasing weight lifted and growing muscle size. While weight training kind of broadly refers to the many types of training that take place in the weight room, here are some of the most popular types of weight training:
Powerlifting
o First of all, I am biased; I love powerlifting and have been doing it for years! Powerlifting focuses on building just that: power! It’s all about lifting as heavy of a weight possible for a lower amount of reps, and they focus primarily on back squats, deadlifts, and bench press. Powerlifters train for strength, not appearance; they usually train by lifting heavy weights at lower reps consistently, with lower amounts of cardio. However, lifting heavy consistently results in gained muscle and lowered body fat in most cases if you’re not eating in a caloric surplus, so many find that powerlifting does wonders for your strength AND appearance. In addition, powerlifting can help you truly understand that fitness isn’t solely about how your body looks, but the amazing things your body can do!
Bodybuilding
o On the other side of the lifting spectrum, we have bodybuilding! Bodybuilding focuses on increasing muscle size and lowering body fat; most bodybuilders lift in higher rep ranges while focusing on muscle growth, not strength. Bodybuilders also focus heavily on muscle definition and utilize a wide variety of equipment to do so, such as barbells, dumbbells, machines, etc.
Olympic Weightlifting
o Olympic weightlifters focus on building strength in two primary lifts, the clean and jerk and the snatch; these lifts are extremely technical and require a mixture of pure strength and impeccable technique. While Olympic lifters only compete in these two lifts, their training is usually focused on a wide variety of exercises to build over-all-strength and increase physical fitness.
Which type of weight training is best?
Honestly, if you’re not interested in competing in any of these fields, you should encompass traits from each of them in your lifting routine! Many prefer to find a program that focuses on strength-focused exercises one day (lower rep ranges, higher weights) and then aesthetic-focused exercises the next (higher rep ranges, lower weights), and many also enjoy learning the basics of Olympic lifting, as well. Each lifting specialty focuses on the amazing things the body can do, and each can help improve strength and endurance; whether you’re interested in training in one specific way or lifting with traits from all of them, weight training will never do you wrong!
What different types of exercises are there?
Compound exercises
o Compound exercises are exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once and include the movement of multiple joints. Compound exercises make up the majority of exercises one does in the gym, such as squats, deadlifts, bench press, leg press, lunges… you get the picture. Compound exercises engage multiple muscle groups and thus focus on building strength and muscle size in multiple areas, which can help you make the most of your time in the gym! In addition, compound lifts can be performed to help increase strength through lower rep/higher weight training, or to help increase muscle size through higher rep/lower weight training, so they are utilized heavily in most lifting specialties.
Isolation exercises
o Isolation exercises focus on exactly that: isolating and training specific muscles. Isolation exercises include bicep curls, leg extensions, etc.; they should be largely supplemental in addition to compound exercises. They can help increase strength in specific muscle groups or increase the size of specific muscle groups, so they are an excellent addition to any workout. Most workouts should begin with compound exercises and then finish with isolation exercises in order to get the full extent of your training; for example, if you were interested in training your legs one day, you could begin with back squats and lunges, then finish with leg press, leg extensions, and leg curls!
Why Should I Weight Train?
First and foremost, weight training is an excellent form of exercise for weight loss. Weight training is technically a form of anaerobic exercise, so just like HIIT, it burns a TON of calories after the workout, as well as during. Aside from helping with weight loss, weight training also reduces bone loss and helps build stronger bones, which reduces your risk of osteoporosis in the future; it can also improve balance, especially in those who weight-train later in life. It has also been suggested that muscle gain can improve insulin sensitivity.
Aside from physical benefits, weight training can help you feel stronger and more confident! There is nothing better than knowing that you’re improving every single day. Weight training helps you learn to set goals and make a plan to accomplish them, which is an invaluable skill that will reflect itself in all aspects of your life. On a personal note, powerlifting helped me (and many like me) realize that exercise isn’t punishment for food or a just a way to look good; exercise is a gift. Lifting shows you that you are stronger than you think you are, and you are capable of doing anything you set your mind to. Whether your goal is to deadlift 300 pounds or do 10 pull-ups or fit into a certain pair of jeans, weight-training can help you get there. The doors to the weight room are open to all!
Things to remember:
ALWAYS warm-up.
o This one is huge! Skipping a warm-up may help you shorten your workout, but it can lead to some serious injuries that could’ve been avoidable. It’s always best to stretch and warm-up the muscles you’re going to train that day- and take your time! Make sure your body feels good and prepared for the work-out ahead.
Listen to your body!
o If you feel like something’s off, then you’re probably right! If your knee starts hurting, or you know that you’re not ready for the next set, then follow your instincts and take necessary precautions. There is nothing wrong with lowering the weight or taking a step back to make sure you’re not about to hurt yourself. Similarly, if the weight feels too light or the set is too easy, bump it up! You are often stronger than you think you are.
Breathing is KEY.
o Make sure to breathe deeply before each rep- breathing deeply helps you brace for the weight and keeps your form tight! Don’t hold your breath through a set, because it can cause you to lose tightness and ruin your form.
Form is everything.
o Listen, I want to lift HEAVY as much as the next woman… but to get there, your form needs to be air-tight to prevent injuries. If you want to learn more about form, talk to a coach or watch some videos. Start out with lighter weights until you have that form DOWN; you don’t want to be that person trying to deadlift heavy with a huge curve in their back.
Don’t listen to the critics!!!!!!!
o There will always, always be that one person who has to comment and tell you that women shouldn’t be lifting. Do it anyway. Lifting can do wonders for everyone, no matter who they are! Seeing as women are at a higher risk of osteoporosis, lifting can actually play a key role in promoting bone health for women and prevent injuries later in life.
HAVE FUN!
o Weight training shouldn’t be intimidating- it should be about valuing your body and discovering what you are capable of! You are so much stronger than you think you are, and once you discover that, the world is yours. You’ve got this!