Why Weights Work for Women

The ladies are lifting. Why more women are turning to weights for the most effective workout.

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Weights give women a full body workout, and tone as well as strengthen.

It’s no secret more and more women are turning to weights for an effective, full body workout. The weights area, typically crowded with testosterone and footy shorts, is now a mix of fit men and women.

Bondi Beauty spoke with Personal Trainer and Fitness Model Competitor Maria Mageropoulos about the increase of women training weights and the positive benefits that come with it.

According to Maria, there has been a dramatic shift not only in the way women train but also how they want to look, “Girls wanted to be skinny and have always been scared of lifting anything heavier than a few kilos, worried they are going to get bulky or look like a man”.

Women have generally stuck to cardio exercise and low weight/high rep regime, however Maria believes that is it due to the increase in fitness education thanks to social media, that women are developing varied opinions about what a fit woman’s body should look like. Maria adds, “I’m sure most are quite pleasantly surprised at the results they do get when they add in heavier resistance training to their program”.

Maria still believes high reps can achieve increased fitness levels, raised endurance and conditioned muscles, however, “once you start lifting heavier you will definitely see a jump in overall fitness, posture, muscle tone and weight loss”.

In order to see a change in the the shape and composition of your body you must be training at a challenging level, “if you don’t use a challenging work load, you won’t provide enough stimulus for your muscles to adapt to, and grow”.

It’s important for anyone lifting weights regularly to maintain correct technique and posture. If you are lifting weights that are too heavy or are using the wrong technique, there is room for injury.

According to Maria, the easiest way to tell if you are lifting weights are too heavy, is to pay attention to your technique. Your technique will be the first thing to suffer when you are lifting weights that are simply beyond your range, “if you are using momentum rather than the specific muscle you are working, its probably too heavy as well”.

Maria suggests, “if you are new to weight training, or just a bit unsure of what to do, go and find a good personal trainer who can give you a program to follow and some guidance to make sure you are training with proper form”.

BB Intern Lauren Walker

Do you shy away from weights in fear of gaining muscle?

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