Weightlifting for Female Beginners
If you think lifting weights exists only in the male domain, you couldn’t be further from the truth. This strengthening exercise regime is becoming increasingly popular among women — with programs available for weightlifting for female beginners, right through to seasoned pros.
Read on to find out more about the benefits and how to get started on a stronger, more sculpted body today.
THE BENEFITS OF LIFTING WEIGHTS FOR WOMEN
Long gone are the days when all you saw at the gym were the cardio bunnies in their leotards and leg warmers. Now it’s the norm to see women of all ages, shapes and sizes in the free weights areas working on attaining a curvier, more athletic body.
Strength training with barbells and dumbbells can offer more benefits than just a leaner silhouette — it can also improve your health. Here are some of the reasons why women should lift weights.
- Target where you tone up — while we may wish we could, we can’t determine where our body burns fat. Often, it’s the areas that we want to firm up the most that will be the last to react to our workouts and diet. Lifting weights allow you to tailor your regime to target the areas where you want to tighten and tone your muscles.
- Helps maintain lower body fat — using the energy stored in our bodies during female weight training can help burn calories and fat reserves.
- Keeps you healthier — there are several health benefits for females lifting weights. These include a reduced risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and an improvement in bone density, which can help defend against osteoporosis.
- Improved strength in ligaments and tendons — over time, weight loading of this repetitive exercise can thicken fibres in these soft tissues and help prevent them from pulling and tearing.
By adopting good techniques and following a suitable programme, there is little risk of ladies weight lifting being dangerous.
GETTING STARTED ON WEIGHT TRAINING FOR FEMALE BEGINNERS
Resistance training using weights can improve your athleticism and help you develop muscle. By using your muscles to work against an applied force, you can boost your strength — but it’s important not to go all out at the start. Your body needs to get used to a new type of exercise, so don’t push yourself too hard.
Here are some tips to follow when you are a beginner to weight lifting for women:
- Proper technique is key — as a newbie to lifting weights, working with a fitness specialist or personal coach will help you develop the correct technique and form.
- Warm up your muscles — failing to prepare your muscles for a workout means you’re more likely to injure yourself. Before you hit the weights, loosen up with some low-intensity exercises.
- Take it easy to start — as a beginner to weight lifting for women, you might find that you can only lift a few pounds — and that’s OK. Slow and steady is the way to go until your body adjusts to this type of exercise. When you find it easy to perform around 12 to 15 repetitions with lighter weights, it’s time to challenge yourself by reducing the reps and increasing the weight.
- Start with a few repetitions — you don’t need to spend hours weight training to strengthen your muscles. For beginners, 1 to 3 sets should be enough.
- Determine the correct weight to lift — a weight that causes you to struggle to finish the last repetition — but not to the extent you lose form — after approximately 12 to 15 is a good gauge that you’ve got it right.
- Take time out — after any exercise, your muscles need recovery time. Work out a routine with the help of your trainer that suits you. This could be working a different muscle group every day, or opting for a full-body workout every other day.
WHAT CHANGES TO MY BODY WILL FEMALE WEIGHT LIFTING MAKE?
To experience noticeable changes to your body, you need to be patient — it’s not going to happen overnight. However, with perseverance and discipline in your efforts and diet, you can expect to experience a stronger, fitter body that’s more toned after about a month.
You could find that your confidence levels grow and your mood improves. You may be sleeping better, not feel so stressed, and have more energy and stamina — and it doesn’t stop there. As mentioned, the unseen benefits could be better heart health and reduced cholesterol, to name a few.
GYM OR HOME?
If you’re asking the question, ‘can I do weight training from home?’ Absolutely — and you don’t need too much equipment either. Some of the things you can invest in include:
We can offer you online programs that you can adapt to begin your weight training journey, with or without the effort of going to the gym.
SHOULD WOMEN LIFT WEIGHTS?
We’ve debunked the myth earlier that weight lifting is only for men. Weightlifting for female beginners is training you can fit into your lifestyle to help you gain a more toned and stronger body.
Our weight lifting plan for women will help you improve your fitness levels, become leaner and healthier with the equipment you have available — and will be tailored to your needs. Email us at info@dimistraining.com to learn more about weightlifting for women.