Research. I love scientific research. Not blogs or opinions, but cold hard facts and truths. With this knowledge I make informed decisions and have more confidence in pursuing something that has the scientific rigour to back it up. That’s why it kills me that even though there is a large amount of research highlighting the benefits of strength training for women’s health, there are still many women hesitant to pick up a barbell and pump some iron. This article is to explore why this may be.
Barrier #1 - Fear I often meet women who have a fear in regards to strength training. Often it is a fear of getting bulky or looking man-ish. Unless you are lifting for several hours each day, multiple times per week with a huge caloric surplus (and maybe some steroids thrown into the mix) this isn’t a justified reality. The point is, unless your goal is to get big and muscular, you probably are not going to get big and muscular. Heck, I wish I could just pick up a dumbbell and instantly get jacked...
Another fear is getting injured, or being too sore. Science shows (repeatedly by the way) that strength training makes your body more robust and resilient to external forces. This robustness will keep you injury free and allow you to do more with your body. Crippling full body pain isn’t recommended, but localized soreness or an overall fatigue is perfectly normal. This is your body adapting to your training, and with time and consistency in the gym this soreness becomes very manageable.
Barrier #2 - Lack of knowledge or misinformation. Women should not lift more than 3 pounds! Sounds ridiculous right? Well this advice was given to women by a very famous celebrity trainer. Just for fun, here are some things that are heavier than 3lbs; babies, groceries, your purse, puppies, and most things in general. Hmm maybe that advice is silly and distorts women’s views on what they can actually accomplish. You aren’t flowers ladies…don’t train like one.