Weightogo,girls
Many women are still avoiding weights when they go to the gym but pumping iron is good for you .. and you won’t end up looking like a bodybuilder
Rose print skirt, £35, jdwilliams. co.uk Jasper Conran Denim skirt, £45, debenhams. com Blue ruffle skirt, £35, miss selfridge. com Abstract skirt, £50, country casuals. co.uk PLENTY of women pump iron – but there still tends to be a gender divide at the gym.
Men tend to stick to the weights and grunt as loudly as possible, while the majority of women opt for the cardio machines instead.
It’s difficult to know the reasons for the imbalance. Maybe women are scared of looking too muscly. But lifting weights will not magically turn you into the Hulk.
Here’s why women should hit the weights. 1. It’ll strengthen your muscles Exercise physiologist Dr Irv Rubenstein said: “For muscles to grow stronger, all you need to do is make them work harder than they are used to working. This is called the overload principle.”
It’s as simple as that: If you start lifting weights, you will get stronger.
Gaining muscle will help tone your body (if you accompany weight training with a healthy diet), and generally make you feel even more fabulous. Promise. 2. You won’t become super muscly One of the main things deterring women from lifting weights is the idea that as soon as you start pumping iron, you’ll look like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Rubenstein said: “Women can get stronger but can’t, usually, get as large as men – simply because testosterone levels are lower.
“Females generally have more body fat – breast and hip tissue attest to this – so their ability to pack on as much muscle as a male would require losing a lot of fat mass.
“With proper diet this is not impossible but this is at the extremes of training and genetic potential.” 3. It keeps your heart healthy The American Heart Association recommend strength training twice a week for overall heart health.
Dr Timothy Miller, a sports medicine physician at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Centre, told US News: “Strength training often gets overlooked for its importance in improving cardiovascular health but it can be a valuable addition in reducing the risk of heart disease.” 4. It helps you burn more calories throughout the day A LOT of women opt for cardio-based workouts with the aim of burning the most calories possible.
But even though a weights session might not burn as many calories as running on the treadmill, it’ll help burn more in the long term.
Rubenstein said: “Muscle mass adds daily calorie burn to the overall metabolic rate.”
This means when you lift weights and increase your muscle mass, your metabolism speeds up and burns more calories throughout the day. 5. It builds your confidence Sure, there are lot of physical reasons to start doing some strength training but there’s also a psychological aspect to consider, too.
Getting stronger is an amazing feeling, as is knowing that weights are by no means a boys-only club.
Pro tip: Blast out Beyonce in the background when lifting and you’ll feel even more empowered.
Plus, you’ll have a whole lot of fun.
For muscles to grow stronger, all you need to do is make them work harder