First off, what’s stopping you?
Here are the concerns I most often hear and my rebuttal. Yes Ladies, you must lift weights!
“I don’t want to get bulky.” Women don’t get bulky from lifting weights. Our bodies don’t produce enough testosterone to build that kind of muscle mass. What you’ll get though is a leaner, stronger, sexier body.
“I can burn more calories doing cardio.” Maybe. But it’s short-lived. Research shows that you stop burning calories soon after stopping the cardio. Whereas weightlifting increases your metabolic rate for up to 48 hours after your session. There’s room for both but prioritize lifting. Shift cardio to HIIT. Details on this below.
“I don’t want to injure myself.” The fact is weightlifting done with proper form, proper preparation, and proper rest and recovery is very safe. Your body was designed to be challenged. That’s how it stays strong, healthy, lean, energetic, and agile.
“I gain weight when I lift weights.” Maybe. Consider this though, would you prefer fat weight or muscle weight? I choose muscle weight all day long. I’m going to throw down a challenge for you. Ready? Throw away your scale! It is nothing more than a measure of gravitational force. It doesn’t consider the endless list of variables. A much better tool is body measurement, or simply how your clothes feel on you. Your body composition WILL change. Muscle is denser than fat, so replacing fat with muscle can make you appear smaller. This article explains in more detail; Body Weight or Body Measurement; Which is Best?
“I don’t have time.” Betcha that’s not true. If it’s a priority to you, you’ll make time.
“I’m a farmer. Do I still need to lift weights?” OK, I only got this question once. The answer is no. She is lean and strong and healthy. She’s getting fresh air and is moving her body as it was designed on a daily basis. That’s a rarity in today’s world. Good job.
Yes Ladies, you must lift weights! The benefits of lifting weights are way too numerous to ignore.
- Strengthens bones, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and osteopenia.
- Builds muscle mass, improving strength and endurance.
- Improves metabolism and weight management.
- Increases energy levels.
- Reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
- Improves balance, stability, and coordination reducing the risk of falls.
- Reduces stress and anxiety.
- Improves self-confidence and body image.
- Improves sleep.
- Improves overall health, well-being, and quality of life.
- Improves cognitive function.
- Balances blood sugar levels.
- Reduces cravings.
My Fitness Protocol Recommendations – Yes Ladies, you must lift weights!
Perform functional body movements every single day: What are functional body movements? Hinge, squat, push, pull, rotate, stretch, walk. Your body is designed to perform these movements. Keep this in mind, you cannot out exercise a sedentary lifestyle. Exercising an hour a day, then sitting the rest of the day will not work. Get up and move every chance you get.
Progressive overload weight training 3-5 times per week for 30-minute sessions: That simply means to challenge your body by gradually increasing resistance. Progressive overload can mean heavier weights, time under tension, or pulses. Bonus, it doesn’t necessarily require actual weights. You can use body weight, bands, children, dogs, books. Let’s use push-ups as an example; starting point may be push-ups against a wall. The progression would be doing them on a counter, then to the knees, then to the toes, then decline, and you can slow them down or add pulses. You see how that progresses? There are lots of ways to challenge your body. Make sure to mix it up too.
And lastly is High Intensity Interval Training, also known as HIIT 1-2 times per week: This can be done in 4-8 minutes. Seriously. HIIT can be sprints, walking up a hill, cycling, whatever gets your heart rate up to about 80% of your maximum capacity for short 10-20 second bursts. Then recover for 30-90 seconds depending on what your body requires. Repeat this cycle 4-6 times. I use a free Tabata app to help me keep time. That’s it. You can do that.
Proceed With Caution – Yes Ladies, you must lift weights!
- If you are new to this, it’s important to consult with a professional before starting any weightlifting program.
- Perform dynamic stretches and light cardio before and after your workouts to warm-up and cool-down.
- Listen to your body. Stop if you experience pain or have low energy.
- Use a spotter when attempting heavy lifts.
- Allow adequate rest and recovery days between workouts to allow for muscle repair.
Health is your birthright. Humans are designed to be strong, healthy, lean, energetic, and agile. Your body is amazing at healing and growing and thriving. Provide your body what it needs, and it will do the rest. Do this consistently my friends, and YOU will be UNSTOPPABLE!
I’ll ask again. What’s stopping you? Yes Ladies, you must lift weights, and you will not be sorry!
I’d be honored to support you through this journey. Let’s chat.
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In Health,
Coach Nanette
