Get Into The Weight Room Ladies!!

Or so I wish!! As I blast my iPod in my ears (which is probably not a good idea) and pump my iron, I look around disappointedly at all the men in the weight room and wonder where in the world the women are?? It’s times like this when I have to remember that not everyone (more like 20% of women, especially moms) thinks like me and revels in the power of feeling strong and in control. Well, at least in the weight room.

I was recently at a seminar listening to a world renowned strength training coach who said, fat doesn’t make you fat; treadmills, counting calories and bagels do. Now as ridiculous as this sounds, he has a point – somewhat. Ever look at a lot of the people on the treadmill and notice that they look the same every day and don’t change? I’m not discounting that cardiovascular exercise burns calories; however, these are not the people I see in the weight room. The people who are lifting weights are strong, lean and probably eat a hell of a lot more because they need to and they can.

Women and weights is still a big “mystery” to a lot of people and there seems to be a fear of what could happen. The fear of injury, which is understandable especially if you are a beginner. The fear of “bulking up” which could not be farther from the truth because as females we just don’t have enough testosterone to be a body builder. And just plain ole not knowing what to do, what not to do and looking like an idiot – to be very blunt.

Now what if I told you that running is fantastic for building leg strength and great for your heart, but you can make your run faster and more powerful if you added strength training to your routine? What if I said that building the muscles in your arms, triceps and shoulders will make it easier for you to carry your baby and lift big packages out of your car? How powerful would you feel if you didn’t have to always rely on your husband to help with what we consider “man duties”? You can have all this AND look fantastic!

Remember, the more muscles you have, the more calories you burn at rest i.e. when you sitting on your couch and watching TV, your metabolism is revved up higher because you visited the weight room. You get more bang for your buck with strength training because although cardio burns more calories during the exercise, muscle building allows you to carry that same calorie burning effect throughout the long haul.