It’s a new decade and today, we’re going to look at 10 reasons for ladies to lift in 2021.

If you’re like me, you’re probably revved up on the new year and may have a few goals up your sleeve.

Like many women, I’ve given myself more than a few health and fitness resolutions over the years. For most of that time, I was the Queen of Cardio in pursuit of my health goals. Any kind of cardio, you name it, I did it.

But in over nearly a decade as a self-described “fitness-addict”, all I ever seemed to accomplish was maintaining a general weight and size. My jiggly areas never seemed to “tone” up.In spite of working out religiously, often six days a week, my progress was pretty stagnant.

I was tired. My joints often ached. And I felt stressed over the scale, always gaining those few pounds back as soon as I lost them.

It was because I’d unknowingly been burning my body out on cardio.

And training toward my goals very ineffectively. Cardiovascular exercise plays a part in caring for our bodies, it’s only one part. Not the whole thing.

For years, I’d been missing another huge piece of the puzzle in taking care of myself, inside and out, as a woman: Weight training.Cardio had always felt faster, easier and familiar.

Weight training seemed slow, complicated and counter-intuitive to my goals. I wanted to lose weight, firm up my jiggly areas and look feminine.

I assumed weights were just going to make me look bulky and masculine, right?

Wrong.

As it turns out, my fears and assumptions were completely backwards.

Not only did lifting align with all my short-term goals (“toning up” the jiggle), it came with many other long-term benefits.

I started regularly incorporating weights into my routine. Looking back, wish I’d started way sooner.

So as you kick off the New Year, here are 10 reasons why as a woman you need to start lifting weights in 2021.

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Better Fat Loss

Cardio has a place in your fitness routine. But it can sometimes overshadow the value of weight and resistance training.

Research shows you can actually burn a higher volume of fat per workout with heavy resistance training.

This occurs through post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), where your body consumes additional oxygen in the hours following exercise (i.e. your body keeps burning calories throughout the day after a workout).

While cardio may burn a few more calories in the moment in a single cardio session, but resistance training keeps burning after you leave the gym.

A 2003 extensive research review concluded that resistance exercise produced measurably greater EPOC response than aerobic exercise. Incorporating regular weekly lifting sessions will help your body become more efficient at burning fat.

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Sounder Sleep

Many varieties of exercise can benefit your sleep, but research suggests that strength training may especially increase your odds of a better night’s rest.

One population-based study found that individuals, ages 20-85, who engaged in muscular strengthening activities increased their chances of better sleep by 19 percent.

Another study by the International SportMed Journal suggests that morning endurance and strengthening exercises can help you fall asleep easier, longer and with better quality after even a single session.

That can mean pep in your step without the jitters or energy crash of caffeine.

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A Metabolic Boost

You might have heard the saying “muscle weighs more than fat”.

Well, no. That’s not true at all.

Weight-wise, a pound is a pound. Kind of like that old riddle: “What weighs more, one ton of bricks, or one ton of feathers?” The answer was, of course,  they weight the same.

A “ton” is simply a metric unit for measuring mass, no matter the material. A pound is a pound, whether it’s a pound of bricks, feathers, fat or muscle.

But muscle is different than fat.

Muscle denser and more metabolically active than fat, meaning it requires more energy (calories) to maintain. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn throughout the day and at rest.

Muscle operates more efficiently than fat, making it a lean, mean, calorie-burning machine.

There’s some debate over the exact amount of extra daily calories burned while your muscles are at rest, but your metabolism can still benefit as you increase muscle mass (and even more as you continue using and building those muscles).

It also takes up far less space than fat.

This is the reason that two people can be the same height, same weight but look dramatically different. A woman who is 5’4″ and weights 140lbs and has a body fat percent of 30% will look very different from a woman who is 5’4″ and weighs 140lbs with a body fat percent of 15% .

The woman with more muscle will be smaller, more slender and have more muscle tone.

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Increased Strength

Yep, you’re going to get stronger as you lift.

And that’s a great thing! Because strength as a woman means independence.

That means carrying all the groceries in one trip or moving heavy objects in your home or office. Changing a flat tire or lifting a hefty suitcase into the overhead compartment of a plane without needing help.

Even opening the world’s most stubborn pickle jar without any assistance.

A stronger you is a more independent you.

Building strength as a woman doesn’t mean becoming a she-hulk who spends her free time tearing phone books in half (you know, unless you dig that). It’s simply growing into an even more self-sufficient version of yourself.

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Stronger Bones

Everyone’s bones decrease in mass as they age.

Women, however, are at much higher risks of developing Osteoporosis.

The National Institutes of Health refers to Osteoporosis as the “silent disease” because this weakening of the bones occurs over time with zero signs until one day an unlucky bump or tumble leaves you with a broken bone.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, approximately one in two women ages 50 and up will break a bone from this disease.

Studies have shown that resistance training can help reduce those risks by preserving bone mass in pre and postmenopausal women. No matter your age as a woman, 18 or 80, weight training is a big investment in your health and long-term quality of life.

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Firmer Figure

A large misconception that keeps women from lifting is fear of becoming “masculine”.

In reality, it’s very difficult (like, practically impossible) for women to “bulk up” the way men do.

Why? We don’t have the right hormones for it.

Testosterone is one of the key hormones in muscle hypertrophy (or “bulking”) and women possess significantly (15 to 20 times) less of it than men, according to Bill Kreamer in Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning.

Our bodies respond very differently to weight training than men. When women lift weights, it actually helps us build a firmer, leaner, hourglass shape.

Those ripped female bodybuilders you’ve seen in magazines? It took them years, targeted training, dieting and (quite commonly in the high-level body-building community) hormonal enhancements to build that way. You? You’re just going to get toned arms and a nice booty.

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Fight Anxiety and Depression

Like other forms of exercise, weight lifting serves as an outlet for reducing stress levels.

Exercise stimulates the brain and releases “happy” endorphins.

An extensive research review of the relationship between exercise and anxiety disorders revealed substantial links between exercise and the effective treatment of anxiety and depression.

If you struggle with anxiety and depression (like myself and many other people do), this means that exercise and strength training can be an additional tool in your belt in the battle for better mental health. 

Another study published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found weight lifting to be equally effective as aerobic exercise in significantly reducing depression in female subjects. Picking up a barbell might help you beat the blues.

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More Energy

Your daily energy doesn’t depend on that morning cup of Joe.

We noted how resistance training can improve sleep, but according to a study published by the National Health Institute, it can also increase energy expenditure and improve your overall pizzazz during the day.

According to the study, even a minimal resistance training program resulted in a chronic increase in energy expenditure.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) also upholds weightlifting as a tool to fight fatigue and boost energy levels. Increasing your natural capacity for energy will take you way further than that second cup of coffee.

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A Healthier Heart

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

Weight lifting can reduce the risk of heart disease and keep that ticker going strong.

Both the CDC and American Heart Association recommend strength training a minimum two days a week to keep your heart happy and healthy.

But wait, isn’t weightlifting supposed to be riskier for your heart?

Probably not unless you are pushing some major limits.

Some research points to ties between weightlifting and strain on the aorta but this mainly applies to regularly training with excessively heavy (half your body weight or more) amounts of weight.

It’s 100% possible to train safely with heavy weights because you don’t have to lift heavy to reap all the benefits we’ve discussed. You can keep it simple and at your own pace.

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More Self-Confidence

Confidence is built by challenging ourselves to do things we never imagined possible.

Stepping out of our comfort zone and into a space where we can grow. That includes overcoming our own insecurities; worries that we will look silly, out of place or incapable.

The strength we build in the gym is often contagious in other areas of our life.

Taking it one day at a time, learning and growing along the way is an empowering experience. And reminds us that as women, we are strong, capable and breakers of the mold.

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Making it happen

When I first began lifting weights about 4-5 years ago, I began by working with a personal trainer.

As a beginner, I was pretty nervous about knowing which exercises to do, using correct form.

Being one of the few women in the weight section at my gym was a little intimidating at first too and I chose to work with a female trainer to help show me the ropes.

With time and consistency, my confidence and knowledge of weight training began to grow. That experience was so empowering, it’s actually part of what inspired me to eventually become a certified personal trainer myself.

Now I’m incredibly comfortable on the weight section, even if I’m the only women out there (it actually makes me feel like a bad@$$, not gonna lie).

A lot of women are intimidated by the idea of lifting weights or aren’t sure where to begin. If this sounds like you, don’t worry. There are a lot of easy ways to get started.

A great place to begin is by taking a weight training group fitness class at your gym or working one-on-one with a personal trainer to learn proper form and get a weekly training program tailored to your goals.

If you’re looking for some workout ideas to start incorporating into your routine, be sure to check out my Instagram page @reesewoodsfit.

I post free strength training workouts and videos every week, along with tips and advice on nutrition, healthy recipes and more.

Making a change to invest in our health is worth putting yourself out there and trying something new (even if it’s a little scary at first). You are worth it. You do this. This is your year to make 2021 the year of the barbell, ladies.

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Hey there, don’t leave yet!

We’re still getting to know each other! Don’t go away so soon. Here are a few more of my posts that I think you’re going to love.

How to Run (When You Suck at Running)

I Tried Taking Collagen for a Month

8 Ways to Eliminate Bloating

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All writing copyright © 2018 Rachel Elise Weems Woods

Originally published 1.30.17. Updated 1.6.20

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