“I’m all about them weights, ’bout them weights, no treadmill!” 

I wish this was a line more women repeated, as I find a lot of women in the gym are either reluctant or too scared to lift weights. The main belief is that “lifting weight will make me bulky…” Although it is true, lifting weights will encourage muscle size and volume, weights alone cannot elicit a sufficient hypertrophic response unless you have everything else in place too, i.e diet, sleep, etc.
In fact, there are multiple reasons why women should be lifting weights if they’re serious about improving their health and physique. It’s time to break up with the treadmill and think about entering a new relationship with something a lot more stable, solid, and above all with having a positive impact on your life!

Here are just five reasons why I think strength training will be your perfect partner:

1) Increased calorie expenditure
Resistance training helps to increase muscle tissue and increase energy expenditure hours after you train. A study published by the National Institute of Health showed a 7.4-8.7 percent increase in resting metabolic rate (RMR) was observed 24hrs after resistant training [1]. Strength training also helps to build muscle, which helps to burn calories at rest. It was thought muscle burnt 30-35 calories per day per pound [2]. Unfortunately, this was later disproven with an actual finding of around 6 calories a day per pound [3]. Despite this being a lot lower than originally thought, these calories add up over time.

2) Improved sleep quality
Strength truing greatly improves sleep quality, adding in the ability to fall asleep quicker, stay sleep and enter a deeper sleep. Research suggests that morning resistance training or high intensity training greatly affects the quality of sleep and lengthens the time of sleep the night after training [4].

3) Better Heart Health
A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning found that those who participated in strength training were less likely to have heart disease as improved the risk factors associated around heart disease such as:
• large waist circumference
• high triglycerides
• elevated blood pressure, and elevated glucose levels [5].
Another study conducted by researchers in Brazil found that blood pressure and resting heart rate were significantly lower the following the morning of a resistance based program [6].

4) Stress Reliever
Don’t deny it! We all know women tend to get worked up and hot under the collar, mainly as a result of us men, but, exercise in general is a great way to manage this stress. Researchers have consistently found that those who regularly strength train tend to manage stress better and experience fewer adverse reactions to stressful situations as those who do not exercise [7].
In addition, resistance training studies on older adults show that moderate intensity weight lifting improves memory and cognitive function, which is great for you! Not only do you get to offload the stress we cause you, but, you’ll also remember what we did, ready to recall it again, 5 years down the line!

5) Improved Bone Health
Twenty percent of Caucasian women age 50 and older are estimated to have osteoporosis with one in two women over the age of 50 breaking a bone because of osteoporosis [8]. Postmenopausal women are at a greater risk for osteoporosis because the body no longer secretes estrogen [9]. Resistance training is an excellent way to combat loss of bone mass, and it decreases the risk of osteoporosis. A study conducted at McMaster University found that after a year of resistance training, postmenopausal women increased spinal bone mass by 9 percent [10].

So, the next time you enter the gym, and through the habit, hop on to the treadmill, take a minute or two to remember these points and utter the words – “it’s all about them weights, ’bout them weight, no treadmill!” Trust me, your body will thank you for it!

If you believe weight training will have a positive impact on your health and physique but feel a little out of your depth, then why not take a look at our online personal training packages. Alternately, if you wish for something a little more personal, then take advantage of our complementary training consults – book yours today and discover how strength training can change your life for the better!

Sources
[1] Kirk, Erik P., et. Al. Minimal resistance training improves daily energy expenditure and fat oxidation” Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010; 41(5): 1122-1129
[2] Van Etten, L.M., et al.. Effect of an 18-wk weight-training program on energy expenditure and physical activity.. J Appl Physiol. 1997 Jan;82(1):298-304.
[3] Wang, Z., Heshka, S., Zhang, K., Boozer, C.N., & Heymsfield, S.B. (2001). Resting energy expenditure: systematic organization and critique of prediction methods. Obesity Research, 9, 331-336
[4]Roveda, Eliana, et. Al. Effects of endurance and strength acute exercise on night sleep quality.” International SportMed Journal. 2011; 12(3): 113-124.
[5] Magyari PM, Churilla JR. Association between lifting weights and metabolic syndrome among U.S. Adults: 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. J Strength Cond Res. 2012 Nov; 26(11): 3113-7.
[6] Cardoso, Crivaldo Gomes, et. Al. “Acute and chronic effects of aerobic and resistance exercise on ambulatory blood pressure.” Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2010; 65(3):317-325.
[7] Stone M, Stone Meg, Sands W. Psychological Aspects of Resistance Training. In: Principles and Practice of Resistance Training. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics; 2009. p. 229-241.
[8] National Osteoporosis Foundation http://nof.org/articles/235
[9] Garnero P, Sornay-Rendu E, Claustrat B, Delmas PD. Biochemical markers of bone turnover, endogenous hormones and the risk of fractures in postmenopausal women: the OFELY study. J Bone Miner Res. 2000;15(8):1526-36.
[10] Muir JM, Ye C, Bhandari M, Adachi JD, Thabane L. The effect of regular physical activity on bone mineral density in post-menopausal women aged 75 and over: a retrospective analysis from the Canadian multicentre osteoporosis study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2013 Aug 23; 14: 253.

About Chris Hall
As the founder of Hall Training Systems, it is my mission to provide you with the very best personal training experience. I set up Hall Training Systems as Oxford’s leading personal training service in nutrition, performance and weight loss, ensuring I can deliver the very best in training techniques.
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