Weight training is often thought of as a way to gain muscle and get ripped, mostly associated with men. Popping veins, chalked hands and scary faces often come to mind. However, what if I told you that weight training could be a far more effective way to train for women as well?
No more hours of sweltering on the treadmill, bike and cross trainer. If you’re like me, and just the word cardio gives you the shivers, then I have an amazing alternative. It is something that can give you the body you’ve always dreamed of and the confidence you’ve always longed for.
Weight training is perfect for targeting specific parts of the body that you want to improve, as well as overall fat burning, core strengthening and firming and toning your body. Here are some of the things picking up some dumbbells could do for you.
Afterburn effect
Unlike long and continuous cardio, when you finish a strength training session in the gym, your body continues to burn fat for hours and hours after. Lifting heavy weights damages the muscle fibres, meaning your body has to work extra hard to repair them.
This work your body is doing is burning calories; it is possible for them to be working for up to 39 hours after a workout, meaning 39 hours of fat burning. So while you’re sleeping, eating, even watching TV, you are burning calories.
Increased confidence
Lifting weights make you stronger is every aspect. There is no better feeling than walking into the weights section and lifting up a heavyweight confidently and lifting it with good form. The more you lift weights, the more confident you will become in the gym. This confidence then oozes out of you into every other area of your life.
Being stronger physically helps you to become stronger mentally, meaning you can make firmer decisions, stand up for yourself and feel more confident in any situation.
Personalised shape
By focusing on specific areas means you can create and sculpt the body in a way you want. You can focus on your legs if you are looking for muscular and toned thighs or if you are after a more round and perky derrière, you can target this area.
Cardio encourages fat loss from all over the body, creating a smaller version of your already-self. Weight training allows you to personalise your body to how you want it and create shape and toned curves.
Quick results
The high amount of calories burnt in a weight training session means the results show up much quicker than cardio. As long as you are consuming enough protein, your muscles will grow at a high speed, making you stronger and your physique more sculpted.
Once you start lifting weights, you’ll start to notice changes to your body within 2-3 weeks and other people will begin to notice a change in you by week 6. Get ready to fall in love with your body.
Along with weight training, it is very important to adjust your diet. You need the energy in order to be able to have a successful workout, so you need to be eating enough calories. However, your calorie source should be from healthy and nutritious foods.
Wholegrains carbohydrates, white meat and fish and plenty of fruits and vegetables are what your diet should consist of. Try and include these in every meal and you’ll be well on your way. It’s also better to eat little and often in order to control your hunger and keep sugar levels at bay.
When it comes to training, you should try and split your sessions up into muscle groups. Here are the best ways to train using specifically targeted training to get the best out of your workout.
Legs
On leg day you should look at targeting your glutes, hamstrings and calves. Squats, lunges and stiff-leg deadlifts are great forms or free-weight exercises that target these muscles. Try and do free weight exercises first as they require the most energy, then move on to weighted-plate machines like leg press, leg raises and hamstring curls.
Back
The back is made up of many different muscles and it is important to perform back exercises correctly to avoid severe injury. Deadlifts are a great free weight exercise that not only targets the back, they also strengthen and use muscles in the entire body, meaning total fat burn!
Chest
Many women skip chest thinking that because you can’t see the pecs, they are not important to train. However, weight training that targets the chest actually increases the perkiness of the breast. The muscle placed underneath the breast tissue becomes bigger, pushing the breast up and out.
You can target chest with flies and chest press as free-weight exercises. Chest press can be done with dumbbells or a barbell, change it up to keep it interesting. Then move on the plated machines that target the chest area.
It is not uncommon for women that weight train to opt for plastic surgery and go for breast enlargement, especially if they are looking to compete in competitions. This is because the high level of fat burning and weight loss can sometimes cause the breast to get smaller. Breast enlargement cost is now much more affordable and is another step you can take to achieve your dream body.
You can also choose to have specific days for arms, which include training biceps and triceps, and shoulders if these are body areas you would like to target. Many often also set aside a specific day for abdominal strengthening, although the key to washboards abs is mostly within a strict diet.
So, next time you’re in the gym, don’t just run into the cardio corner. Be confident and lift some weights, the benefits are amazing and totally worth the change in your routine.
