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Meaningful Strength Training for women: The Physical Script 4.

Updated: 6 days ago

Why should we lift weights and build resistance? Despite the widespread conversation about the significance of strength training for women, there remains a lack of substantial research on the topic. Moreover, there is a scarcity of valuable guidance and instruction regarding proper lifting methods, repetitions, and sets. It's time to delve into this matter.

The mid Life Script: It's not just self care ... its essential care!


Why should women do resistance training?

As a woman, our lean muscle mass gradually decreases from around age 30 at approximately 3% per decade. Between ages 50 and 70 we will lose a further 30%, and after age 70 the decline is faster. So the most important factor is to SLOW this speed of decline. Resistance or weight training is the ONE thing that we can do for ourselves and it has many benefits including:

  • Increased muscle mass. This includes skeletal muscles, smooth muscles, and cardiac muscles.

  • Increased muscle strength. This is measured by discovering a persons One repetition maximum (1RM) *.

  • Increased bone health and reduced chance of osteopenia/osteoporosis.

  • Increased metabolism as a higher percentage of muscle burns more calories at rest and indirectly helps weight management.

  • Better balance awareness so therefore lower risk of falls.

  • Improved mental sharpness.


How should women do strength training?

You need to challenge and stimulate your muscles appropriately to create muscle break down and muscle repair resulting in larger, and stronger muscles. To optimise training sessions, and quickly see results, its important to become curious about:


What is heavy enough? Choose a weight and lift it 8 times. If the last 2 reps are difficult then bingo you are about right. If you can do this weight 12+ times it is not heavy enough.

Correct technique. Lifting a heavy weight challenges the body and done inaccurately, without learning technique, may cause discomfort - at worse injury. Therefore it is PARAMOUNT to get instruction and someone to watch you for the first few sessions.



When should women do resistance training?

Answer: Now! Start somewhere! The most rewarding aspect of lifting is that almost immediately, the benefits of strength training are visible.

Lift Often. You will see changes from 2 sessions per week. 3 sessions can sometimes seem too much, so a nice compromise is to aim for 5 sessions across 2 weeks.

Adapt your routine. The body adapts quickly, so after a few weeks the same exercises will give the same results. It is important to mix the exercises up in order to continually make gains.


What Strength exercises should women be doing?

You can get a great workout with very little equipment. But I like to categorise strength training into 'Body weight moves' and 'Weighted Moves'.

Body weight moves: Examples would be squats; one leg squats; push ups; lunges; Jumps; skips and hops. This is a routine that has exercises that work against your own body weight.

Weighted moves: These could include using a medicine or sand ball; dumb bells; kettle bells; bars or machines. A functional routine can quickly be created and completed in or outside of a gym. Get a qualified instructor or take a quick online course to learn correct technique and an effective beginner programme and then progress.


Understand your 1 Rep Max*

There is a preconception that lifting consumes 60 minutes of your time. Understanding the maximum weight you can lift or push just ONCE is key to avoiding lengthy time consuming sessions and making the muscle mass and strength desired. Safe and effective warm up sets with good technique are essential here, and as experience increases, working out at percentages of the 1RM will lead to shorter, quicker sessions, and progression.


Challenge the mind set

Statistics show that women lose muscle mass after the age of 30 - they don't tell you that you can also INCREASE muscle mass over the age of 30 (and 40, 50, 60, 70...)

Whenever you read about the risks of weight training, (bad technique, potential injury) - think too of the risks of NOT weight training (osteoporosis, falling, loss of independence).

Remember you can learn and make gains with what is around you - start with your own body weight! You don't need a gym membership.

Lift heavy. Keep it varied and enjoy! Anytime in your life is a good time to incorporate heavy lifting, high intensity exercise and boosting protein intake. Starting early will have the biggest impact on your metabolism and body composition pre, peri and post menopause.


I make my lifting programme for women meaningful. You can book an introductory chat with me here:




Resources:

Roar Dr Stacy T. Sims, PHD, with Selene Yaegar


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