Why women should strength train

No, it will not make you bulky.

Only one-fifth of women strength train two or three times a week. You’ve probably heard numerous tales about why lifting is evil. It is bad for the joints, it’s harmful, all your muscle will turn into fat when you stop lifting and you get bulky. Countless strength training transformations and studies show that these claims aren’t true. Besides, a woman is capable of lifting just as heavy as a man so why shouldn’t she?

Lifting doesn’t do any of the aforementioned things, in fact, it just makes you stronger, faster, more efficient and more powerful.

Pilates, yoga, zumba, walking and swimming are amazing but they are not enough. You need to dedicate a portion of your week to strength training too. Here’s why:

1.       Melt fat faster

Strength training doesn’t only work your arms; it works your entire body.

Most people lift in order to increase their body mass with muscle but strength training does way more than that. It burns fat, gives you a good resistance workout and increases your endurance.

However, cardio is important too. You can have three strength training days and others can include cardio and stretching or you can have both in one fitness session. This is a matter of personal taste. The point is that you need both.

2.       Build more muscle

You won’t get bulky, but your body will have a higher muscle-fat percentage. More muscle, less fat, that’s what you should be aiming for, believe us. You’ll be leaner, tighter, cellulite disappears and you lose your folds. The more muscles you contract, the more calories you burn. And the more muscle you have, the more you will contract and the more calories you will burn.

3.       Better bone health

Strength training reduces your risk of osteoporosis and other bone-related disorders which are likely to occur in premenopausal women because they stop producing estrogen.

4.       Less stress, better sleep

Women have stressful lives. From dealing with their jobs to taking care of our home, family, kids, studies… shows that they have superhuman capabilities but they also lack rest. Exercise in general is an incredible stress-buster and we’ve met many women who tell us that strength training transformed their lives and made exercise more enjoyable for them. The bonus about strength training is that there’s so much you can do. You can perform body weight exercises such as planks, squats and lunges and you can add in weights to your routine and perform weighted squats and deadlifts. Rope training equipment also packs a great punch when it comes to resistance training. Strength training is also linked to better sleep. You fall asleep faster, have deeper sleep and wake up less frequently.

Strength training also improves cognitive function and makes you more productive. So start lifting heavy and use equipment that challenges your entire body.


-The ROPEFLEX team