Lift Heavy

Ladies, weight training is not just for men, however tonight as I worked out at in the weight room I noticed immediately that I was the only female present and there were over 20 guys in there at least.  It is evident to me that women, well at least women in my community have not gotten the memo on the health benefits of weight training.  I don't mean 5 pound dumbbells doing 20 reps of bicep curls, I mean heavy lifting, bench pressing, dead-lifts, back-squats, lunges etc... I am disappointed that my fellow female friends are hiding in the cardio cave.  Maybe I just need to change that? 

 The most common misconception about weight training for women is that you will get big and bulky.  Well unless you are popping supplements like crazy, this is impossible.  Women do not produce enough testosterone to physically be able to get big and bulky.  Female bodybuilders take tons of supplements and many use anabolic steroids in order to get that way.  And quite honestly whether or not a female bodybuilder "grosses" you out, the amount of dedication and work ethic it takes to build a body like that is really quite amazing.  Basic weight training will NOT get you there. 

In a nut shell the benefits of weight training are:  Increased metabolic rate, by having more muscle mass your body burns more calories per day, which inevitably helps you burn off the unwanted body fat.  Increasing and restoring bone density:  strength training increases your bone density as well as keeping it strong into old age, avoid Osteoporosis later on in life by lifting heavy!  Increased Muscle Mass:  More muscle mass means more calorie burn throughout the day.  Aesthetics:  strength training builds a body that is lean and mean, less body fat more lean muscle, less cellulite, etc.  The benefits outweigh the negatives especially since I can't come up with a single negative aspect of weight training. 

I listened to a phenomenal podcast this morning while cleaning and I just feel like I need to share it with all of you.  I listen to the Paleo Lifestyle and Fitness podcast in itunes and this one had super special guests Jim Laird and Molly Galbraith from J & M Strength and Conditioning in Lexington KY. http://j-mstrength.com/.  These two are an example of what great trainers are supposed to be like.  Anyways in the episode they talked about one of the women that they train and it is something I think will blow your mind. http://www.themissfits.com/you-cant-serve-two-masters/ The girl in this article can deadlift 365 pounds...Look at how petite she is and that is proof right there that heavy lifting does NOT make you big and bulky...365 pounds...gosh darn it I am still working on getting mine over my own body weight.  Something to work towards I suppose.

The article above is also a great one in showing what the difference is for someone stuck in the "chronic cardio" mindset, which admittedly I struggle with, but am working on daily.  Mentally it is hard to wrap our minds around the fact that less is more... So I will leave you with this happy thought.  Train Smarter, not longer. 

Oh here is the wonderful podcast I listened to earlier I really hope that you take some time to listen to it, honestly I am probably going to listen to it a couple times a month to remind myself to stop running so darn much and to focus on my weight training instead.  http://eplifefit.com/2013/11/19/paleo-lifestyle-and-fitness-podcast-episode-64/

Lift Heavy

training in my garage