10 Major Health and Fitness Benefits of Lifting Weights + Free Bootcamp

Lifting weights has so many benefits for women of all ages and fitness levels! This blog post will cover some of the most important reasons why every woman should be lifting weights as part of their regular workout routine.

1. Weight Loss:

Women who do strength training can increase their resting metabolism by up to 15%. That means they're burning more calories at rest than someone who doesn't weight train or does just cardio exercise! Not only that but when you're in a calorie deficit and lose weight, approximately 80% of that weight is coming from fat. Strength training helps to preserve the most amount of lean muscle mass possible while losing body fat so when your metabolism starts back up again you'll be burning even more calories than before - you can also turbo charge this fat burn even further by adding the BodyRock weighted vest that is specifically designed for a woman's body. 

2. Self Confidence:

Strong women are confident women. Lifting weights will not only give you a more toned physique but it'll also make you feel empowered. When I started lifting, my body changed and so did the way that I felt about myself. All of a sudden I was stronger, leaner and even happier than I had ever been before. And I know that when you see the results of your hard work, you'll feel just as happy and confident too! The massive self-confidence boost that comes from strength training is perhaps the most transformative experiences women discover when they start resistance training.

3. Fat Loss:

Lifting weights is an incredibly efficient way to burn calories and especially more than cardio alone. In fact, a study done in 1989 showed women doing strenth training versus steady-state cardio burned almost twice as many calories over a 24 hour period! Plus, lifting weights has been shown to be more effective at reducing body fat than cardio. 

4. Strength Training Reduces Belly Fat:

Strength training has been shown to reduce overall body fat as well as belly (visceral) fat in particular, which is the most dangerous type of body fat that can lead to chronic health conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

5. Muscles Become More Defined:

Lifting weights will give you the curves and shape that cardio alone just can't provide - all without 'bulking up' - think long, lean, fat burning muscle. 

6. Improved Flexibility:

Strength training will improve your range of motion which means you'll be able to move with greater ease, fluidity and efficiency than before! Less pain in joints too! 

Lifting weights will not only increase flexibility but also mobility which is great for runners! When you're doing dynamic exercises like squats, deadlifts and lunges, not only will this improve the strength of all of your joints including ankles, knees and hips but it'll also increase your flexibility which is especially important if you're an avid runner.

7. Stronger Bones: 

By lifting weights you're stimulating bone cells to produce more bone cells. This is super important for women because as we age our bones get weaker and can lead to osteoporosis which causes your bones to become brittle and break easily. Lifting heavy weight will not only increase bone density but it can actually reverse the effects of osteoporosis which is great news for older women who want to lift weights. Bone density is not only important for preventing osteoporosis but also so your muscles can contract properly and you have the ability to move freely without pain.

8. Increased Endurance:

Strength training will increase the amount of work you're able to do, while also increasing the speed at which you perform that work! This means you'll be able to do more reps, sets and exercises than before. So not only will you look better but they'll also perform much better too.

9. Lower Risk of Heart Disease:

Lifting weights will not only strengthen your bones but it'll improve the health of your heart as well! A study done in 2008 found that postmenopausal women who were lifting weights for just 24 weeks had significantly lower LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels than the women who were doing just cardio.

10. Burn More Calories: 

Have you been looking for a way to burn more calories? You may be surprised to learn that strength training is the best way to increase calorie burn. 

Strength training burns more calories than cardio. Strength training can help you burn up to fifteen times (15X) as many calories as aerobic exercises like running, jumping rope and elliptical. This means that a one-hour strength workout can give you the same calorie burn as six hours on the treadmill! One of the reasons why is because muscle mass uses more energy, even at rest. Add a BodyRock weighted vest to up the fat burn even more. The vest turns any movement into resistance training - even if you are walking, biking or just doing house hold chores. It's a fitness game changer and a great way to break into strength and resistance training.

 

How to Get Started with Strength Training:

Lifting weights is a great way to get in shape and burn fat. It'll also help you build lean muscle, increase your bone density, make you stronger, more flexible and improve your heart health while boosting self-esteem!

If you're interested in lifting weights but don't know where to start or how much weight should be used for different exercises then check out our Free 5 Day Intro to Strength Training  Bootcamp. It's designed to teach you everything that you need to get started with strength training in 5 daily, 20 minute long workouts that you can do at home or anywhere you like to train. The best part? It's free!