Why Women Need to lift Heavy

Why do women need to lift heavy? Because WE CAN!

Women are taught to be fragile, dainty and inferior to men in strength, but when we are at the gym that doesn’t have to be the case! I love the look men give me when they see my using heavy a** weights to do my workout. It’s a hell of a shock. What’s even more shocking is that I actually know what I am doing with them. Honestly, I love being a girly girl and super bougie but when I step into that gym all of that disappears. It’s like the gym gives me some sort of power and wouldn’t you want to have that too?

I know the gym can be intimidating to many but it doesn’t have to be that way. Yes, the first couple of days it will be intimidating to be in the weight room with all the guys. but once you get the hang of it, you don’t even notice them. This always happens to me when I go to a new gym that I’ve never been to. I get a little intimidated but that isn’t stopping me from going. I keep on and before you know it the intimidation is gone.

Why should women lift weights?  Weights are going to help with bone health and density, increase your metabolism, strengthen your joints, and all the connective tissue around those muscles. As we age, we start losing muscle but if lifting will delay that process and even stop it from happening.

Here are a few FAQs:

1. Will it make you bulky? N-O-P-E! As women, we do not have as much testosterone as men so we will never get bulky. those women that you see competing, inject themselves loads of steroids. Also, it has to do with your genes and your biological predisposition. If anything, lifting builds booties, lowers body fat and helps you burn more fat. So lift ladies!!!

2. Light weights make you long and lean. N-O-P-E. Do you know J-lo? yea the 50 year old with a rock hard body that looks amazing? She is not doing a barre class or pilates? She is lifting weights and heavy! Does she look like the hulk? No. Does she look amazing? yes. it is not possible to make our muscles longer than what they are. All that lifting tiny weights does is increase muscle endurance but it won’t build any muscle mass which is what will get you to lose body fat.

3. Cardio is the best way to burn fat. N-O-P-E. Cardio is a great aid to burning calories but you actually burn more calories while doing strength training because you are using more muscles. The body burns 5 calories of energy for every liter of oxygen consumed, so using more muscles=more oxygen.

Next time you’re at the gym remember that lifting those weights is pushing the limits of what you (and others) think you can do.