As told by UP Fitness
If you're a woman who likes to lift weights, we're probably preaching to the choir.
We don't need to tell you how strength training can make you look and feel amazing.
It's something that hundreds of female clients at Ultimate Performance have experienced first-hand, pushing dumbbells and heaving barbells on their way to their own body transformations.
There are so many benefits to resistance training with weights for women.
Yes, it's a great tool for fat loss and getting in the shape you want - but there are so many other benefits too that more women should know about.
Here's the proof that there's more to life than just doing endless cardio...
1. It burns more fat
Weight training burns more calories overall than steady-state cardio and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). It’s true that, while you’re doing the exercise, you’ll burn fewer calories lifting dumbbells than you will doing two hours solid on the cross-trainer. However, after a weights session, you’ll be burning more calories for longer (your metabolic rate will be higher). Overall, the weights win.
2. You can eat more
Muscle is an expensive asset to develop and maintain. Training with weights makes your muscles denser and can make them bigger too. You need to eat a lot of food to grow those muscles, and you need to eat plenty to maintain them. Furthermore, looking at it the other way round, having even just a little more muscle means you can handle a lot more calories.
3. Stronger bones
The pressure that weight training puts on your bones encourages your body to invest in making your bones stronger and more sturdy. This counteracts the propensity for women to lose bone density from their 30s onwards; a process which speeds up after the menopause.
Encouraging bone density will help protect you from fractures and breaks.
4. Stronger immune system
There’s a link between healthy habits that people who lift tend to have, such as better eating habits and higher quality of sleep. There are also theories linked to improved circulation, regular increases in temperature and lower stress levels.
5. Stronger mind
Continual and gradual improvement in the gym creates a positive narrative in your life. Training with weights also requires you to learn that failure is a normal part of progress. The repercussions of both these outcomes are immense. This sort of thing tends to adjust your expectations to other areas of your life, spreading a more positive outlook, which in turn makes you more likely to try new things, cope better with stress and succeed.
6. You’ll age better
All these things taken together, add up to you remaining stronger and healthier for longer. Your improved circulation will help to keep your skin, nails, and hair in good condition. Being in good shape will enable you to wear the clothes you want. When you fall, you’ll be less likely to fracture or break something. You’ll be sick less and remain independent for longer.
7. Better Sex
You’ll be physically stronger, get out of breath less easily and have more energy in general. You’ll probably be less stressed and more likely to try new things. You’ll also be more likely to be more confident about the way your body looks, which helps in circumstances where you’re naked in front of another person that you want to impress.
If you want to get in the best shape of your life and need expert guidance on the training and nutrition to achieve your goal, simply click below and see how UP can help...
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