15/11/2023
There is so much misconception around resistance training for women, if only they new the benefits.
Women get so worried about getting "too big" and "too bulky".
In order to get any kind of bulk, it takes years and years of training and nutrition to get a bulk effect. When you see images of power athletes, they work HARD to build that muscle, through specific hard strength work and an abundance of nutrition! Our physiology is not one that is going to put on a whole bunch of muscle mass. In our 20s and 30s we can get away with doing lighter weight and higher reps, and see an improvement in muscle strength, endurance, and size. But as we hit our 40s (hello perimenopause!) it becomes harder and harder to build and maintain our muscle mass. Resistance training is so critical in the modern age where we don't push and pull things. Technology has made us a sedentary population, which impacts all of our systems, specifically our lean mass, our bones, and our brains. The cornerstone of exercise for women of all ages is resistance training; some may argue even more so than cardiovascular exercise (strength training does improve cardiovascular health markers https://academic.oup.com/eurjpc/article/26/15/1647/5925845?login=false)! Resistance training does increase lean mass, but it also improves bone mineral density in both women and men (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bone.2019.115192, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00198-010-1182-9). For brain health- Resistance training! Resistance training improves neural pathways, cognitive function,and brain tissue volume (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s11556-019-0217-2). and helps with dementia and Alzheimer's risk.
Strength training will make you feel STRONG and give massive longterm health rewards. As a woman, let's change the narrative and focus on strength so we can do everything we want to do now and in our future.
#βFβemaleStrong