Weight Exercises for Women
High-intensity workouts and weightlifting are not just for men
Many women still think that free weight areas are only for men, either because the workouts will make them too masculine or simply because they consider that weight exercises for women don’t exist. At the same time, many men consider group-X classes with cardio and dance exercises such as aerobics, Zumba, latino, step, etc, as being the exclusive domain of females. Not true!
Fortunately, this limiting perception of exercising is no longer what it once was. More and more people are aware that fitness routines and workouts don’t distinguish between women and men, due to the fact that both have the same capacity to train in any area or discipline. We think so too! However, there are still myths to disprove and wrong perceptions to work on, such as:
“Women who do weightlifting seem masculine”
To begin with, the first mistake is to think that being strong can only be related to a male body. Wrong! Empowering the muscles with the appropriate weights doesn’t have to make you bigger. The objective is to strengthen your muscles, and tone and sculpt your body. Additionally, the benefits of muscle building or toning programs include prevention of decalcification, body fat loss, improved vitality, body sculpting, improvement of balance, and many more.
The production of testosterone is markedly lower in women, around 10% less than men. This hormone is responsible for the increase of muscle and bone mass, therefore the chances of a woman’s body taking on a masculine appearance because of weightlifting are very low. On the other hand, women have higher levels of oestrogen, which increases body fat and causes physiological differences between men and women. For example, higher levels of oestrogen means that it’s more difficult for women to lose body fat than men. Despite these differences, there’s still no strong reason to label certain exercises as either for women or for men.
“Weightlifting can be dangerous for women”
Weightlifting can be dangerous for anyone who doesn’t perform it properly, and can cause injury if the posture or grip is not correct. Lifters need to choose a weight that suits them, one allows an appropriate level of work without causing any harm. Target weight must be increased progressively, through training, patience, and over time. However, weight exercises for women don’t need to be any different than for men. The pros and cons, and specifically dangers of weightlifting are the same for both women and men.
One thing to keep in mind is that because women have less blood than men, around 2 litres of difference, their heart rate during training is higher. However, according to the latest research conducted by Dr. Nicholas Ratamess for The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, women actually recover more quickly than men during strength training.
In the end, training should not be determined by sex but by the objectives you want to achieve and by your morphology. Therefore, urban legends such as women shouldn’t lift weights, which only provoke a lack of self-confidence, should be ignored. Work out following the recommendations of your personal trainer to avoid injuries, and strive to reach your goals. Among our brand values is our commitment to all athletes and fitness enthusiasts. Let’s all start thinking this way!