{"id":4315,"date":"2023-06-01T06:58:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-31T20:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onthecoastpublications.com.au\/onthecoastfamilies\/?p=4315"},"modified":"2023-09-06T23:09:57","modified_gmt":"2023-09-06T13:09:57","slug":"women-strength-training-myths-busted-central-coast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onthecoastpublications.com.au\/onthecoastfamilies\/women-strength-training-myths-busted-central-coast\/","title":{"rendered":"Empowering Women Through Strength Training: Busting Myths About Lifting Heavy Weights"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Louise Hurley<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women can, and should lift heavy weights. It\u2019s a fact, backed up by plenty of research1. We need to build muscle and we need strong bones if we want to be physically independent as we age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a long time there has been a fear, or a hesitation at least, when it comes to building muscle in women. I personally believe this is because of the ideal beauty standards women are measured against in our society \u2013 thin and slender is seen as good, wide and bulky is seen as less desirable. At the risk of turning this article into a sociology and feminism essay, I\u2019ll stop here, but it\u2019s definitely food for thought! Ten or more years ago you would typically see women doing more cardio based exercise than resistance training (lifting weights). I\u2019m excited to see that in recent years there has been a big shift in attitudes towards women\u2019s health, and now more and more women are starting to strength train as a way of looking after their body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what is all the fuss about when it comes to strength training \u2013 why is it so important for women? Let\u2019s bust some myths!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth #1 You may remember your Great Aunt Eunice telling you that lifting heavy weights will make you big and bulky, and you don\u2019t want to be too big \u2013 take no notice!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fact In reality, getting \u201cbulky\u201d from lifting weights is extremely hard. I\u2019m not one hundred percent sure what a bulky body is, but I\u2019m going to go ahead and presume it means big, broad, wide with big muscles. To get this sort of body you would have to have a large level of testosterone in your body, have an extremely high protein and calorie diet, train multiple times a day and pretty much make building muscle your full time job! My point is, it\u2019s hard to build muscle \u201cbulk\u201d, so there\u2019s zero possibility that you would accidentally end up looking like The Rock if you were to start lifting heavy weights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth #2 You\u2019ll injure yourself if you lift heavy weights.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fact Injuries typically happen when you lift something too heavy for your current strength level, with poor technique. When you work with the right professionals they can help you start to increase your strength gradually with progressive overload. Strength training in women has actually been shown to decrease the risk of injuries, including back pain and brittle bones, especially for post\u2013menopausal women2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth #3 Lifting heavy weights is bad for your joints as you get older.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fact Not only does lifting heavy weights build muscle, but it also increases bone density, resulting in fewer injuries as you get older, and increases the stiffness and thickness of your connective tissue. This all means that if start strength training now and you\u2019re lucky enough to grow old, you\u2019ll be more physically independent and less likely to experience falls and if you do fall, you\u2019ll have a lower risk of fractures3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth #4 I can\u2019t lift heavy weights after having children.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fact Almost all women after giving birth need pelvic floor rehabilitation, especially if they experience pelvic organ prolapse. Lifting heavy weights is something that you should gradually work up to under the guidance of a women\u2019s health physiotherapist and a MumSafe\u2122 trainer, but it\u2019s never off the cards completely. With good pelvic floor rehabilitation, you can absolutely lift heavy weights after having children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth #5 Lifting heavy weights will make me put on weight.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fact It\u2019s a fact that dense bones and strong muscles weigh more than fat. So yes, if you were to build more muscle, get stronger bones and not lose any body fat then you would weigh more. However, the number on the scales is not a good measurement of your overall health and I believe that an increase in this number is well worth stronger muscles and bones! In the long term you\u2019re more likely to lose body fat when you have bigger muscles because it increases the speed of your metabolism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how can you start to add heavy weight lifting into your life?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n