FitEngine is involved in an incredible movement. Our fitness insanity workout in NYC is empowering women. It helps them get stronger and feel better. The results are incredible if we say so ourselves. We have seen an improvement in their confidence, fitness, and physique, even outside the gym.
So, we highly recommend that you make strength training a part of your workout routine!
Women usually avoid lifting weights because they believe it’s dangerous for them. In most movies and adverts, men are shown lifting weights and are perceived to be strong and manly, two characteristics women don’t want to be associated with. This is just a stereotype to stop women from becoming as strong as men.
There’s a lot of confusion surrounding strength training for women, preventing them from achieving something that will improve their overall well-being.
Before talking about the benefits of strength training, let’s dispel the myth surrounding it:
What Is Strength Training?
When you hear the words strength training, your mind immediately conjures images of a barbell, a tire, and bulky ropes. This exercise type is much more than beefy dead lifts and heavy squats. The terms strength training and resistance training are used interchangeably.
These terms refer to a training type that works your muscles against resistance. As a result, your central nervous system and muscles come under pressure, causing an “adaptation.” This is your body’s way of getting stronger.
Is Strength Training Important?
Strength training for women is valuable for achieving optimal health. It offers the following benefits, which we will discuss in depth later:
- Increased strength, power, muscle growth, recovery, and endurance
- Reduced frequency of injury
- Increased integrity of connective tissues and bone
- Increased metabolism
- Reduced lower back pain
- Increased insulin sensitivity
Strength training keeps you active and prevents falls, which improves your quality of life. This exercise type also has a psychological component. It not only empowers you but allows you to look at yourself in the mirror and appreciate how strong you look instead of the amazing body you got.
Myths About Strength Training for Women
Makes You Bulky
One of the most common myths about strength training for women is that they will get bulky. While this is true, it only applies when you have been lifting weights consistently for a long time. According to research, men and women build muscle mass at the same rate.
Even if you spend weeks in the gym, you won’t build the bulk you see on wrestlers. So, go ahead and pick up those dumbbells.
High Repetitions and Light Weights Help You “Tone Up”
The words strength training means doing exercises that improve your endurance. Strength training is much more demanding than other exercises, such as aerobics, yoga, Zumba, and Pilates. It tests your muscles and strengthens them to increase your workout intensity.
Lifting Doesn’t Aid in Weight Loss
Cardio is not the only way to burn fat. According to research, strength training increases the basal metabolic rate, allowing you to burn more calories. The calories keep burning for 38 hours after the workout, even when you are resting.
You Get Fat When You Stop Training
Fat and muscle are different components. When you stop exercising, your muscles shrink, but they don’t turn into fat. When you experience muscle loss, you burn fewer calories. If you keep eating the way you used to without exercising, your body will gain fat.
Benefits of Strength Training
Strength training is usually thought of as a fitness regimen for men. However, it offers amazing benefits for women too. Let’s take a look at them:
- Increases Bone Density:As women age, their bones weaken. Strength training puts the right amount of stress on these bones to help them strengthen, preventing osteoporosis.
- Increases Muscle Mass:Maintaining muscle mass helps improve the range of motion and prevent injuries. As said earlier, strength training will not make you bulky. It will improve your body composition.
- Aids in Weight Loss:Strength training can burn hundreds of calories. While it’s not the same as cardio, it does help you attain a caloric deficit.
- Increases Energy:Exercise helps release endorphins, which are also called the happy hormones. This hormone not only boosts mood but energy too. Where cardio depletes the energy stored in your body, strength training fills you with more energy, which keeps you active throughout the day.
- Improves Heart Health:Strength training decreases blood pressure, improves blood circulation, and lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol. This helps strengthen your heart’s blood vessels and allows you to manage blood sugar levels.
In conclusion, strength training is neither dangerous for women nor makes them bulky. If you don’t like cardio, strength training is the perfect outlet for you to get your fitness on. It will help you increase bone density and muscle mass and aid in weight loss. So, if someone says strength training is not for women, show them your moves confidently and challenge them to a workout. If you are taking New York fitness classes, you will tire them out with your energy and gain some functional strength in the process.
Get started with FitEngine’s stretch class in NYC. The fitness institute teaches all kinds of exercises to beginners and professionals. Their fitness experts have decades of experience and are well-versed in Pilates, yoga techniques, dance, etc. Check out their workout reviews on the website to know how effective their sessions are. Book a class now or call 888-610-4756 for more information.
