Effect of Strength Training on Women: The truth

Lifting heavy weights makes women bulky. 

How many times have you heard this one? I’m not sure who first said this, but as time goes on more and more women are discovering the falsehood behind this statement.

Lifting heavy weights has numerous mental, emotional, social, and physical long term and short term benefits no matter your age, medical history, experience or fitness goal.

I heard a phrase “thinking you’ll get bulky from lifting weights 3x a week is like driving your car every day and being afraid you’ll become a professional nascar driver”.

To become ‘bulky’ which lets be honest, is just another term for having noticeable muscle, takes YEARS of consistent effort, progressive overload, and an increase or maintenance of calories.

In other words, you have to try incredibly hard, for an incredibly long period of time to become ‘bulky’ or even remotely close to. 

In reality the main effects you will experience are developing lean muscle mass, decreasing body fat, and improving overall quality of life (mood, energy, longevity). 

It’s impossible to bulk up the same way a man does once he starts to lift weights, because simply, we are not men. 

If you’ve ever said you want to be more “toned” or signed up for that bootcamp class because they promised to “sculpt” and “tone” your way to that bikini body- the only way through is to resistance train in some capacity. 

That being said, we do require different methods and protocols of exercise depending on our own abilities, medical history, goals, age, limitations, etc. 

For example, a woman who is 27 years old, a novice to exercise, has no limitations and is looking to lose weight will be exercising differently than a woman who just turned 52, hasn’t exercised in 6 months due to a previous injury and is looking to decrease back and shoulder pain; they are at two different places in life in terms of their general health, reproductive health (menstruation vs menopause), and how they occupy their days. 

Regardless, there is a noticeable positive shift in energy, mood, sleep, and overall routine when women start strength training regularly. They quickly enjoy the tangible benefits they receive in terms of body composition and how they generally feel throughout a regular day. 

Some specific benefits for strength training in the female population specific to age include:

Women <  20 years old:

1. Develop motor control and coordination (fine motor skills needed to properly execute exercises)

2. Develop movement pattern competency (ability to safely and effectively move the body)

3. Develop and improve proprioception (ability to sense one’s body in time and space)

4. Develop and improve self esteem and confidence

5. Develop self efficacy and independence

6. Improved Mood

Women 20-40 years old:

1. Decreased risk of developing age related diseases as you age such as osteoporosis and sarcopenia

2. Decreased risk of developing heart related diseases (heart attack, coronary artery disease)

3. Improved levels of bone density and muscle mass

4. Decreased body fat

5. Decreased low back pain

6. Decreased common PMS symptoms (such as cramps, fatigue, mood disturbance, bloating)

7. Improve menstrual cycle regularity and symptoms during menstruation 

Women 40+ years old:

1. Decreased risk of developing age related diseases such as osteoporosis and sarcopenia  

2. Decreased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (the lack of estrogen past menopause increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease risk factors)

3. Improved levels of bone density and muscle mass

4. Decreased body fat

5. Preservation of muscle mass

6. Reduces metabolic risks associated with declining estrogen and improves declining metabolism 

7. Reduced risk of high blood pressure and strokes

8. May help reduce hot flashes and other symptoms associated with menopause

9. Decreased low back pain

While any form of exercise in general is beneficial and can of course elicit some benefits mentioned above, resistance training stays the GOAT when it comes to making real body composition changes, improving bone density, building and maintaining muscle mass, improving mobility and flexibility, decreasing pain, increasing relative and absolute strength, decreasing body fat, and improving longevity. 

Exercise is almost always a cheat code to aging, or at least slowing down the aging process. We begin to age the day we are born, how we choose to live our lives thereafter will dictate how we age. 

Good news is that you’ve chosen to partake in improving your health with us here at Pursuit so you are already on the best path to success! Let’s Work!

Sources:

Mishra, N., Mishra, V. N., & Devanshi (2011). Exercise beyond menopause: Dos and Don'ts. Journal of mid-life health, 2(2), 51–56. https://doi.org/10.4103/0976-7800.92524

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). How can strength training build healthier bodies as we age? National Institute on Aging. Retrieved November 29, 2022, from https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/how-can-strength-training-build-healthier-bodies-we-age#:~:text=NIA%2Dsupported%20researchers%20have%20been,the%20healthy%20years%20of%20life. 

Seguin, R. A., Eldridge, G., Lynch, W., & Paul, L. C. (2013). Strength Training Improves Body Image and Physical Activity Behaviors Among Midlife and Older Rural Women. Journal of extension, 51(4), 4FEA2.

Daley A. (2009). The role of exercise in the treatment of menstrual disorders: the evidence. The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 59(561), 241–242. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp09X42030