Women who skip the weight room miss out on key health benefits
Check the weight room of any big box gym, and it’s likely that you’ll see a distinct majority of one sex versus the other. Women often eschew dumbbells and o-bars in favor of cardio machines, and in doing so, miss huge health benefits that have long-term impact. Weightlifting has been shown to increase bone density in women and increase metabolism, plus improve strength, endurance and overall fitness.
The truth is, there are a lot of “untruths” out there about weightlifting that scare women away from deadlifts and cleans. Fear of injury, fear of bulking up, fear of gaining weight are often cited as reasons why weightlifting isn’t a gym time fave for lots of ladies, but those reasons are unfounded.
Despite its bad rap as an injury-inducer, weightlifting is one of the safest forms of exercise. A 2003 study* published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine suggests there is no difference in injury rate between free weights or machines. Also of note is research that shows injuries sustained during weightlifting training are substantially lower than injuries incurred from other exercise.
Physiologically speaking, women lack the testosterone to bulk up from weightlifting. Weightlifting firms and tones muscles that can help you look leaner and meaner. Complex weightlifting moves require multiple muscles to work really hard all together, delivering great bang for buck -- and making weightlifting one of the most effective workouts for really busy people.
It’s a proven fact that muscle weighs more than fat, so weight gain as a result of weightlifting isn’t a bad thing, and doesn’t mean you’d physically be any larger. Wouldn’t you rather have 10 pounds of lean, strong muscles around your midsection than 10 pounds of flab? Those 10 pounds of muscles are tight and powerful, not flabby and loose.
It’s smart fitness to give the weight room a shot. Work weightlifting into your usual routine by replacing a machine-driven or cardio-intensive workout with weightlifting at least once a week.
*Requa RK, DeAvilla LN, Garrick JG. (1993) Injuries in recreational adult fitness activities. Am J Sports Med, 21(3):461-7. Melissa Gerharter MS, RD is co-owner of Joust Strength and Fitness of Ann Arbor, joustfitness.com. She is also an adjunct lecturer at Eastern Michigan University. She can be reached at Melissa@joustfitness.com
Comments
KJMClark
Sun, Nov 15, 2009 : 8:57 a.m.
Where did our society get the idea that women should be scrawny and weak? And shepard's comment is hilarious. Women who lift weights look like strong women instead of toothpicks. Women who use weights don't get big muscles (most men who lift don't either), they just get strong bodies and knock out legs.
tracyann
Sat, Nov 14, 2009 : 5:29 p.m.
Thanks for this article. I work at a gym and far too many women have expressed trepidation about lifting weights. It's not like we're talking about power lifting.
shepard145
Sat, Nov 14, 2009 : 2:35 p.m.
Far too masculine in every way. Women have no reason to hit the weight room. Do yoga, run short distances, cycle and swim and you're all set while still resembling your gender.