Personally, I feel better about my body and in my own skin than I have ever felt in my life!
The love I now have for my body has most certainly come around from lifting weights and all that I have achieved from doing so. When I step into the gym, I feel strong, empowered, confident and there is nothing that gives me a better buzz than being able to do a chin up or squat my bodyweight (and more) on the bar!
So now I love to help other women to learn to lift safely and effectively, and ultimately to find a love for lifting weights too!
I did a stint of competing in one of the most prestigious fitness competitions in the World (a few times) and helped other women to do the same. Funnily enough, going through periods of counting calories helped me to find a better relationship with food because the goal was always how much can I eat whilst building the body needed for the stage, as opposed to how much do I need to restrict.
I now love food, without having a guilty relationship with it. I no longer restrict food or use it as punishment. Instead use it to nurture my body and to fuel my day and my workouts.
There are many misconceptions about women and weight lifting, particularly when it comes to women’s physical appearance.
Not only can lifting weights help women achieve their fitness goals, but the health benefits (both mental and physical) are huge.
Here’s just a few…
- Increased muscle mass – not only can make you look leaner but it raises your BMR (calories your body burns at rest). This means you’ll need to eat more in order to maintain your muscles, win win!
- Increases strength – from the age of 30, women begin to atrophy (that means lose muscle) so it really is important to strength train so you can continue to carry shopping, sit on the toilet, climb stairs or even mountains as you go into old age!
- It’s fun – weight lifting itself is a fun and effective form of exercise. Using your newfound strength to do things you couldn’t previously do, like a chin up!
- Confidence – knowing your own strength (and building strength) is a huge confidence booster, not to mention going into the gym and feeling like you are a warrior woman! Forget the cardio for achieving a toned body… weights are where it’s at!
- You CAN shape and sculpt your body – weight training gives you the ability to focus on certain muscle groups and attain the physique you desire. Some of my favourite exercises for women focus on achieving perky glutes!
- Bone health – women’s bones are at risk of osteoporosis as we age. Lifting weights increases bone density, particularly around menopause, and helps keep bones healthy.
If you are tired of working out endlessly, living a miserable life by restricting foods and calories, and still not seeing the results you want, then perhaps it’s time to look at how weights can make you feel amazing!
