3. Strength training makes you stronger.
Having functional strength helps with everyday life. Ever rearrange your living room? Do you lift children or groceries or both at the same time? Training makes you feel empowered when you no longer need to recruit a man for help.
4. Strength training is good for your heart.
The American Heart Association recommends strength training as a way to reduce the risk of heart disease in cardiac rehab patients. By making your body stronger, you also increase your endurance which puts less stress on vital organs.
5. Strength training can reduce your risk of osteoporosis.
The "use it or lose it" rule applies here. When you lift weights, you are putting a healthy dose of stress on your bones. This continual stress builds bone density and can help keep your bones strong and healthy.
The Resources
Learn to listen to your body. If something doesn't feel right, it's probably not doing you any good. Training is more of an art than a science—each person is different. Remember, fitness and strength is a journey, not a single event.
Here are a few helpful links to move you forward:
- Nerd Fitness – Read here. A very comprehensive site. A lot of information and how-to videos that are easy to understand and follow.
- Look Better Naked and Improve Performance – Read here. Great tips for women interested in building strength and mobility.
- Mobility WOD – Read here. This blogger can be a little hard to understand, but watch him. He gives great tips on mobility and flexibility and if you like to nerd out on fitness jargon, he's your man.
- Joe DeFranco's Westside for Skinny Bastards – Read here. This may seem a little intimidating, but it's a great resource even for women who aren't serious athletes. Ignore the title—there's no need to be skinny. This is a great four-day strength training template.
Ladies, if you're working hard to achieve your goals and you're not seeing results, don't be afraid to re-evaluate your training. Empower yourself. Do some research.
Chuck the fitness magazines and get rid of the pink dumbbells. Learn to be strong and don't be afraid of the male-dominated weight area in your gym. Strong is the new skinny.
Increase your metabolism and get stronger. Find a fitness class.