Recently I had yet another talk with my sister regarding women doing weight training. And its amazing how even in this modern age and feminism, some women are still afraid of getting some iron diet because of misconceptions and old fairy tales. So I hope this article will help convince women to hit the barbell and for the men to cite and better persuade their gf/wife to join them at the gym.
1. You get to eat and not get fat
A long standing joke is that what women really want is not a dashing rich and adventurous gentleman to be completely devoted to her. What women really wants is to eat and not get fat. And its common sense that in order to loose weight, then you need to spend more energy than what you consume right? Well, what happens if I told you that long term calorie restriction leads to lower metabolism. I.e. you need to continuously reduce what you eat in order to continue loosing weight. Keep in mind that 65 – 75% of calories you spend is while you are resting. Heck research on mice even indicates that if you go on a diet for a while and then you stop, you could even get more fat with the SAME diet as before. So diet alone will not help. Meanwhile, strength training allows you to jack up your metabolism long AFTER you finish your exercise. Basically you can loose weight while keeping the same diet! Mind you all this has been proven by Oxford researchers.
2. No, women will not get ripped just from weight training alone
A common misconception is that women that lift weights will get bulky and muscular. Except that Males testosterone blood level is 7 – 8 times greater than females and that the average male produces on average 20 times more testosterone than females. Yes, male body naturally produces and absorbs testosterone at several multiple greater than female. So in order for women to get jacked as big as the image above, they need to use more steroid than men. So no need to worry about looking like a female Arnold ladies. In fact, although this below chick squats more than I do pound for pound, her legs still looks normal.
Her name is Zoe Smith by the way, she competes in 49 kg weightlifting class and she squats 160 kg, more than 3x her own body weight.
3. Helps you adjust your body contour
And butts that squats are always hotter than butt that belong to full time desk jockeys. OK, hiking, skiing and tennis also gives great butts, so please don’t get jealous honey. I for one like legs that have some musculature on it, not just skin and bones.
4. Build stronger bones
Tired of listening to your mom or grandma complained about her osteophorisis? Well, tell them to hit the gym as research has shown how weight training increases bone density even in post menopausal women. Plus the men in the family would definitely appreciate the natural butt lifts their women are getting.
5. They also build stronger joints
Your grandma also complained about her knees? Well, as they say, use it or loose it. Research also shown how weight training helps improve joint health even on people with osteoporosis. Of course the key being doing full range motion, proper movement pattern, and not too much repetitive loading. So I do not recommend de-conditioned people regardless of their age to jump into a crossfit or bodypump class.
So there you have it ladies, happy lifting. And if your man is afraid that you would snatch more weight than he does, then maybe its time for you to get an upgrade and get a better man!