Why strength for women?
Strength is no longer solely the domain of men. In fact it is recognised as the most important aspect of physical health for women particularly as they age. It boosts metabolism to help maintain a healthy weight and assists in maintaining a higher quality of life in women of all ages but particularly for independance in old age. There is nothing more empowering than feeling confident in the way your body performs and that it’s capable of dealing with the all the demands life can throw our way. It encourages a positive body image and it just so happens it makes you look great too. The stresses of daily life can leave us feeling like our bodies have been neglected, with little time or energy to do exercise or even pay attention to ourselves at all. As a result our body image can take a real hammering. It’s important to be fit and healthy not only to meet the demands placed on you in daily life and be less vulnerable to illness and disease but also, in all the chaos, to prioritise taking some time out to look after yourself. The positive knock-on effects of this are many, not only in terms of your health and happiness but for that of your loved ones too.
But won't I end up being muscley / bulky?
This is a common misconception – it is in fact incredibly hard for women to build large muscles as we lack the levels and type of hormones required, and what’s more, bulky muscle is built through very specific training and diet. What we aim to achieve is lean muscle by changing body composition through a mixture of training. What most people would call ‘Toned’. Getting rid of fat is one thing but if there is no muscle underneath the fat, you still won’t achieve a “toned” look.
Did you know that strength training increases your metabolism, to burn more calories daily with no effort?
By incorporating strength training into your exercise regime, your body’s metabolism increases. That means you will naturally burn more calories daily, eat into your body’s fat reserves more easily and keep weight off. A pound of fat is the size of a block of butter and takes 5 calories per day to maintain. A pound of muscle is the size of a large strawberry and takes 50 calories a day to maintain. By making this transition in body composition, you may not weigh less, but you will burn more calories automatically and attain a more athletic body shape with curves to die for!