For a long time I glued
myself to the treadmill and cross trainer hoping the pounds would drop off,
thinking it would ultimately be the answer to all my body hang ups. My dream
body was only a million mile run away. You can probably tell
from the way I’ve started this post; that most definitely was NOT the case.
With a change of plan, and a little bit of knowledge, I managed to create a
body that I’m not 100% happy with yet, but a body I’m proud of. Coaching others
on the things I learn on my own fitness journey is something you can expect to
see in the coming months!
I’ve spoken to numerous
women, and read many things online about women’s attitudes towards weight
training and it all seems to be the same. It has been stigmatised that women
who weight train are masculine. Bulging biceps, prominent veins, and ripped,
cheese grater abs are the first things that pop to mind – of course, this image
is just as badass, but the majority of women I have come across are looking to
tone, not to compete. Don’t get me wrong, I also had this mentality for a long
time, but if you take one thing from reading my blog post, let it be
this… pick up those darn
weights and reap the
benefits almost straight away.
1) Empowerment
If you’re a superwoman
and reading this whilst on the treadmill or doing any form of cardio: get off,
right now and get yourself over to those weights. I can’t promise you instant
success, but I can promise you something: empowerment. The surge of
empowerment – or in gym terms ‘the pump’ - I feel when I pick up a dumbbell or
feel the deep burn as I push my body to complete the last few reps, is
intoxicating. You will feel strong, powerful, and unstoppable; it’s a good
enough reason to swap the treadmill for the squat rack any day.
2) Sculpt curves
Strength training can sculpt the curves you’ve always
wanted. That seems hard to believe when it’s logical to up the cardio and lose
weight: a common misconception. Sure, a more trim form and fat loss can be
achieved through cardiovascular exercises, but muscle is also lost in the
process – the kinda muscle that makes a beach bum and hourglass worthy waist!
It’s no longer a case
of being born with a straight up and down shape, or a shape that’s considered
too curvaceous; we can quite literally sculpt the body we want, and accentuate
our assets with targeted weight training. It depends how bad you want it!
3) Burn calories
whilst doing NOTHING.
Yes, I really mean it.
It is possible to burn calories whilst sitting on your ass… BUT there’s a catch
- after you’ve well and truly earned it in the gym that is. Our bodies are
always burning calories, even at rest, simply to keep our heart pumping and to
find the energy to fuel our intricate machines. This is called our resting metabolic
rate.
The more we increase
our muscle mass, the more our bodies use calories efficiently, therefore
increasing that metabolic rate.
This means if you hit
the weights harder you can burn off the cheeky cheesecake you consumed on your
cheat day much quicker, simply by being a couch potato (nobody has to know)
People with speedy
metabolic rates also benefit from younger looking skin, better moods, better
immune systems and more energy!!
4) Everything
fits better!
This ones pretty
simple; muscle weighs more than fat. So, when it comes to building muscle and
toning, step off the
scales and look in the mirror. Naturally, the body transforms when enduring
strength training, internally and externally. But let the mirror and the fit of
your clothes be the judge of progress, not a number on a set of scales.
This is what’s really
benefited me since switching my mind set at the gym. Although I’ve lost weight
from controlling my nutrition, my muscle mass has increased and I can feel the
results when I try on the jeans that never used to fit. Getting them on is no
longer a work out in itself, and I can breath without fear of the button
popping off and doing damage.. oops.
Although muscle mass
goes up, and potentially the number on the scales, dress size will plummet –
now that sounds like a good little deal there, doesn’t it!?
5) Stressed? Happy
lifting!
Research has shown
that women who regularly strength train manage stress much better than those
who don’t. They also experience fewer adverse reactions to stressful situations.
Now, I always liked the sound of this because I can be a bit of a
self-confessed stress head. But now, any stress I have I obliterate at the gym.
It motivates me, it drives me, and it keeps me going. It focuses my energy on
the moment - the exercise - instead of the thing that’s stressing me out. I
seem to come out of the gym feeling more… together, like I can conquer anything
the universe has to throw at me (apart from shark infested waters, nope, no
amount of gym can sort that one out).
Don’t put cardio
completely in the doghouse, it has its many benefits too, but when we want to
get toning, picking up those dumbbells will get us there much quicker. Feel
strong, feel powerful, and get lifting ladies!!
