Let’s talk strength training for women, why it is key to fitness, health and wellbeing and how you can do it easily at home.
Cardio and running have always been at the forefront of the media and therefore everyone’s minds when it comes to fitness whilst strength training has often been overlooked. However, just 30 minutes of resistance training three times per week is one the best things you can do for your health and fitness.
Back to basics
Strength training which is also called resistance training or weight training is basically just using your body weight and/or some kind of resistance ie bands or weights to add load to your workout. Weight training has always conjured up the image of bodybuilding and bulging muscles but this cannot be further from the truth and its time to dispel the myth. Over time you may decide to gradually increase the weights or the number of reps – this is called progressive overload and will help you get stronger and fitter. The increased load and demand on the muscles forces them to adapt and grow. But the benefits of strength training do not just stop at the muscular system – stick with me and read on!
So, what are some of the key benefits of strength training for women?
- Weight training increases bone density: with the drop in oestrogen post menopause women are more at risk of osteoporosis - training with weights stimulates new bone growth and reduces risk of fractures etc
- Weight management - you build lean muscles using weights which in turn increases your metabolism, burning more calories over the course of the day post workout.
- Lifting weights will tone and not build bulk, contrary to the myth! And the results are tangible!
- It’s a huge mood booster. Not only will exercise release endorphins which help with anxiety/stress, you will feel more confident too.
- It will improve your strength/agility/ endurance in so many other sports ie running tennis etc as well as your overall posture & stability. You’ll have less back pain as a result.
- It will reduce your risk of heart disease & diabetes - weight training can help to improve cardiovascular health.
So here’s just a few benefits! Have you noticed any of these in your training?
The next question is how to strength train and how often?
Research has shown that 30-60 minutes one to three times a week is ideal. Strength training three times a week for 30 minutes gives your body enough time to recover between sessions whilst still challenging it enough to see the results. If you’re new to fitness and training you definitely need to start gently and build up gradually over time using light weights/bodyweight. I have long since been an advocate of strength training, particularly for women, and with this in mind I built my platform – Caroline’s Circuits. My workouts are 3 times a week for just 30 minutes. They focus on strength based circuits which work different muscle groups and challenge the body, keeping the heart rate moderate to high with passive or active rest – they give the perfect mix of strength and cardio for the best results.
The workouts are Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9am (they are all recorded and available to you on demand within an hour of the session if you can’t make the live). Classes have been specifically designed to suit all fitness levels and create fitness habits which last & which produce results.
Intrigued to know more or have a go? Try a class for free here or read more about the platform here.
If you have any questions please do get in touch.
For more workout ideas and to find out a bit more about me check out my Instagram.
Caroline x
