When you hear strength training, you may picture a gym full of:
- People who already know exactly what they’re doing
- Weights you could never imagine lifting
- Machines you don’t know how to use
No wonder the typical gym can feel intimidating and leave you wondering where you’d even begin.
But that picture of strength training?
It’s outdated.
More women than ever are picking up weights.
(hell yeah!)
Not to “bulk up,” but to feel stronger, more capable, more confident, and more in control of how they age.
And as a coach who’s been preaching the power of strength training for 20+ years…
I’ve been waiting for this moment!
Because strength training isn’t really about the weights.
It’s about what those weights allow you to keep doing outside the gym.
They help you:
- Get up and down from the floor with ease
- Carry groceries, luggage or a full laundry basket without thinking twice
- Pick up your kids or grandkids
- Protect your balance, mobility and bone health as you age
- Stay strong enough to travel, explore, work, garden, and do he things you love
- Reduce the chances that aches, weakness or fear of injury make decisions for you
That’s why being strong isn’t about flexing in the mirror or lifting the heaviest weight in the room.
It’s about your independence.
It’s knowing your body can support the life you want to live, not just today, but 10, 20 and 30 years from now.
And for women especially, building and maintaining muscle becomes even more important as you get older.
The good news?
It is never too late to start.
Start now, and you can build strength, muscle, confidence, energy, and resilience for the years ahead.
Ignore it, and everyday life can start feeling harder much sooner than you expect.
That’s why strength training is at the core of everything we do at Results Fitness!
Because strong isn’t just a fitness trend.
It’s one of the best investments you can make in your health, independence and quality of life.
In today’s blog, you’ll learn:
- Why people avoid weights + how to move past it
- 14 ways lifitng weights changes your body + life!
- How to get started safely, whether brand new or getting back into it
WHY YOU AVOID WEIGHTS
There are plenty of reasons you may avoid lifting weights: misconceptions, past experiences, injuries, or just not knowing where to start.
Let’s clear the air so you’ve got the facts and confidence to make strength training work for you!
Reason #1: “Weights Are Harder Than Cardio”
Cardio feels simple. You hop on a treadmill, bike or elliptical and go.
Strength training can feel different.
Which weights should you use? How heavy? How many reps? Is your form right? What exercises are safe for your body?
That’s a lot to figure out on your own!
And that’s exactly why you never have to figure it out alone at Results Fitness. You work with a coach who shows you what to do, how to do it and how to safely progress as you get stronger.
Yes, lifting weights should challenge you – that’s a good thing! That challenge is what helps your body build and maintain the strength you need with age.
Reason #2: “Weights Are for Bodybuilders and Athletes”
Nope. Nope. Nope.
Strength training is for the 40-year-old who wants more energy.
the 55-year-old who wants to protect her bones and muscle.
tHE 65-year-old who wants to keep traveling, playing pickleball and carrying her own groceries.
and the 75-year-old who wants to keep doing all of those things for years to come!
The beauty of strength training is that it can meet you exactly where you are! You don’t have to already be strong to start lifting weights.
You lift weights to become stronger!
What matters most is how you do it. With the right coaching and a program personalized to YOU, it can work for any age, fitness level, injury or starting point.
At Results Fitness, every program is 100% personalized to your body, abilities, experience, and goals.
Reason #3: “My Joints or Injuries Can’t Handle It”
Bad knees? Achy hips? A cranky back? Old injuries that make you nervous?
It’s understandable to think avoiding weights is the safer option.
Buuut, the answer isn’t necessarily to stop moving. It’s to learn how to move and get stronger in a way that works for your body.
When strength training is appropriately designed for your body, it helps strengthen the muscles that support your joints, improve function and make everyday movement easier. As coaches, we work with people of all ages and abilities, including people managing arthritis, previous injuries, joint replacements, and chronic aches.
Reason #4: “Lifting Weights Will Make Me Bulky!”
This may be one of the biggest fears we hear from women.
You want toned arms. You want your clothes to fit better. You want to feel leaner and more confident.
You just don’t want to look “bulky.”
Here’s the part most women get backwards: Lifting weights isn’t what makes you bulky.
Excess body fat is what creates the bigger, softer look you’re trying to change.
And that does NOT come from lifting weights….body fat is driven by nutrition (what you eat and how much).
Strength training acutally does the exact opposite. It helps you build and preserve muscle while improving your body composition.
A pound of muscle takes up less space in your body than a pound of fat. That means building and having muscle is what creates the stronger, leaner body you’re actually after.
WHY YOU NEED TO LIFT WEIGHTS
If you want a workout that truly improves your health, helps you look and feel your best, and supports an active, capable life, strength training delivers!
Here are 14 ways lifitng weights changes your body and life:
1. Builds Confidence: Picking up a weight you once thought was too heavy is empowering, and that confidence carries into life outside the gym!
2. Makes Life Easier: Being stronger makes everything easier, from carrying groceries in one trip to getting off the floor and picking up your kids or grandkids!
3. Reduces Aches & Joint Pain: Stronger muscles better support your joints, helping your knees, hips, shoulders and back move and feel better.
4. Burns Fat & Builds Muscle: More muscle helps your body burn more calories and improves body composition, creating a leaner, stronger, more “toned” look!
5. Boosts Your Metabolism: Muscle burns calories just by being there, so the more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns throughout the day and even after your workout!
6. Prevents Injuries: Stronger muscles, tendons and connective tissues make your body more resilient and better prepared for the unexpected movements of real life.
7. Strengthens Your Heart: Strength training challenges your cardiovascular system too, helping support a stronger, healthier heart.
8. Builds Stronger Bones: Lifting weights helps maintain and build bone strength, which becomes especially important for protecting against osteopenia and osteoporosis as you age.
9. Supports Healthier Joints: Strength training helps support the muscles and tissues around your joints so you can keep moving comfortably and confidently.
10. Improves Balance & Agility: Strength helps you stay steady on your feet, react quickly, climb stairs and catch yourself if you stumble.
11. Supports a Longer, Healthier Life: Strength training helps reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, and staying strong is an important part of staying healthy and independent as you age.
12. Keeps Your Body Resilient: Strength training prepares your body to better handle physical stress, recover and keep doing the things you ask of it.
13. Builds Mental Toughness: Doing hard things and realizing you CAN do them builds grit and resilience that carry into every part of life!
14. Keeps You Progressing: There’s always a next step. As you get stronger, you can gradually lift more, do more reps or tackle new exercises so your body keeps improving.
HOW TO GET STARTED
Now that you know why strength training = a healthier, happier, stronger YOU, there’s really only one question left:
How do you start?
The sweet spot for most people is 3 strength training sessions each week, paired with movement you enjoy like walking, yoga, Pilates or cardio.
But the most important part?
Consistency.
Your goal is simply to show up for those 3 workouts each week. They don’t have to be perfectly spaced or happen on the same days every week.
Just keep showing up.
And if you’re brand new to weights, don’t be intimidated!
You don’t need to already be strong. You don’t need to know how to use the equipment. And you definitely don’t need to keep up with anyone else.
You just need to start at the right level for YOU.
That’s exactly what we do at Results Fitness. You work with a coach, and every workout is personalized around:
- Your experience level, even if you’re completely brand new
- Your goals and comfort level
- Any injuries, aches or movement limitations
- Progressing at a pace that helps you get stronger and more confident
Because you don’t have to get in shape before you start strength training.
You strength train to get in shape!
And every workout you complete is another investment in the stronger, healthier, more capable YOU you want to be 10, 20 and 30 years from now.
Ready to see what getting stronger can do for you?
If you’re ready to jump on the strength trainnig bandwagon and live the best life possible, book a FREE coachng call with our team HERE!