6 myths about women's strength training that are stopping you from becoming more beautiful

November 4, 2014 | Comments: | Views: 1,203

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Women's nature is to be constantly dissatisfied. Dissatisfied with myself. If you have the opportunity to meet a woman who does not want to change anything about herself, you will be very lucky! The thoughts that legs should be thinner, hair straighter, and freckles should completely disappear from the face of the Earth probably never leave the fair half of humanity.

The beauty industry does not sleep, it is always on the alert, because as soon as the wind of fashion blows, the beauties will immediately rush to the nearest beauty salon or clothing store to spend a lot of money on something that may not even suit them, and that in just a week will lose relevance. One thing is certain - a good figure will never go out of fashion.

What does the concept of “ good figure” ? The answer is very simple: elastic skin, toned muscles, lack of fat deposits. How to achieve this? Do fitness! We recommend visiting the website actionlife.com.ua, there is a lot of useful information on fitness.

Of course, for your figure to become the envy of your rivals, you will have to put in a lot of effort and shed a lot of sweat in class, but let’s talk about what other benefits you can get from regular (!) classes at the fitness center.

Fitness classes have a positive effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system, musculoskeletal system, overall strength and endurance of the body. And forget about blood pressure problems!

Important : you should study wisely, otherwise all your work will go down the drain. Develop a unique training program with a personal trainer that will suit all the features of your health, otherwise you risk leaving the gym not in improved shape, but with new sores.

Fitness is the main enemy of bad mood and stress. And how nice it is sometimes to imagine a hated boss instead of a punching bag - not a trace of anger! The amount of endorphins during training increases many times over, so you will leave the gym inspired and ready for new achievements.

You will no longer have to constantly feel hungry - your appetite will decrease due to the production of the same endorphins.

Regular exercise will eliminate chronic fatigue. You will begin to get enough sleep and feel great throughout the day.

During training, each of your cells will receive many times more oxygen than in normal life. The skin and capillaries will be very grateful to you for such a gift.

Your self-esteem will skyrocket...

...and the weight is falling!

And these are only 7 reasons to do fitness, in fact there are many more of them, and if after reading this article you are still asking the question: “What are the benefits of fitness for a modern woman?” – ask the opinion of any young and fit coach in a sports club. There is no doubt that both his answer and his appearance will do their job, and you will not just go to training, but fly.

Features of strength training

But first you need to understand the difference between strength and cardio exercises. Well-known aerobics is a typical example of cardio exercise. Their essence is that the effect of the exercises is aimed primarily at the cardiovascular system. Cardio exercises vary in duration, strength and do not lead to muscle wasting. Also typical “representatives” of cardio exercises are running, cycling and exercise bike, twirling a hoop, and so on.

Strength loads are a completely different way of influencing the body and organism. The muscles are primarily involved, not the heart. This may include various exercises with weights, the use of exercise machines, dumbbells and other devices of a similar nature. Modern women most often resort to strength training for the reason that they want to correct their figure in some specific way. For example, it is believed that such exercises can make your waist thinner, strengthen your hips and buttocks, and burn fat locally.

In fact, this is not entirely true, since strength training provides muscle relief. Then should women resort to them at all? It will be possible to answer this question if you weigh the pros and cons of training of this nature.

Everything in the gym is designed for men

Another misconception. If you visit any large fitness club, you can find a lot of services that allow women to remain beautiful. A solarium, a massage room, a cosmetologist's office and a sauna turn the gym into a real beauty salon. For example, the Goldy`s Gym club offers an infrared sauna in Minsk https://goldiesgym.by/uslugi/ik-sauna.htm, the prices of which are quite affordable. A visit to it has a healing and healing effect on the body and allows you to recover faster after training.

The benefits of strength training

To highlight the benefits that are present in this case, it is necessary to look at the nature of the exercises themselves. They primarily load the muscles and actively use the joints. At the same time, there is no significant cardio load when performing such exercises. At least they are noticeably smaller than when running. The result is a so-called anaerobic effect (as opposed to aerobic). And based on this, we can highlight the following advantages of exercises of this nature for women.

1. Increased strength. Actually, this is the result that the exercises are primarily designed for. Thanks to them, muscles are strengthened, and the loads that the body is able to successfully withstand are constantly increasing.
2. Increased muscle mass. This is useful if a woman wants to create a beautiful relief and attractive contours. Of course, everything is fine and normal. If you don’t have a goal to compete in bodybuilding competitions, you shouldn’t be particularly interested in building muscle mass. This is necessary for professional athletes, not ordinary people.
3. Strengthening joints and ligaments. Again, the intensity of the activity matters here. If they are measured and the loads increase gradually, there will be more benefit for the joints and ligaments than possible, not too pronounced harm. Failure to determine the appropriate load leads, on the contrary, to their damage.
4. General increase in immunity. Quite a useful effect. Along with strength and endurance, the overall protection of the body increases, the risk of colds, viral infections, and so on decreases.
5. Noticeable improvement in appearance. Perhaps it is for this effect that most women turn to these exercises. Indeed, they help to form a beautiful figure, gain feminine curves, and to some extent get rid of excess fat.

It turns out that strength training allows women to be healthy, strong and beautiful. Of course, such a result can only be achieved with regular exercise. And besides, the classes themselves must be conducted competently. Still, it cannot be said that exercise leads exclusively to positive changes. There are also certain disadvantages that will also have to be taken into account fully.

Admiring yourself in the mirror

There are mirrors hanging in many rooms. No, not for beauty. In order for the exercise technique to be correct. Just as musicians (vocalists, flutists, for example) need to see themselves from the outside in order to achieve the right sound, so those training in the gym sometimes need to turn to the mirror.

However, many professionals are inclined to believe that mirrors do more harm than good, so you won’t find many mirrors in specialized Olympic centers. Mirrors do not allow you to fully concentrate on your feelings.

Disadvantages of power loads

In general, each variant of physical activity has certain disadvantages associated both with its effects and with the health status of the person involved. Strength training will in some cases not only be unhealthy, but also dangerous. The problems and disadvantages of exercises in this case are as follows.

1. At the first stage they lead to weight gain. It increases due to the growth of muscle mass. However, over time, with constant exercise and a properly selected diet, the weight returns to normal. The fat layer becomes thinner, the muscle relief becomes emphasized and aesthetically pleasing.
2. Excessive loads can lead to the development of a number of pathologies of the female reproductive organs. Unfortunately, this is a fairly common situation. As a result, problems with childbirth arise, for example, natural childbirth becomes almost impossible. But, again, this only occurs if the exercises themselves are performed either incorrectly or too intensely. With proper training, such a result is practically impossible.
3. A dependence is formed. But this situation arises regardless of whether the exercises are performed correctly or incorrectly. Addiction manifests itself on several levels at once. It becomes physiological, psychological, and social. The physiological dependence is that the muscles constantly require loads, and in their absence, discomfort occurs. Psychological addiction is the desire to constantly go to the gym, because it helps to calm down, take your mind off problems, and feel in a comfortable environment. Finally, social addiction is getting pleasure from the feeling of envy and admiration from others.

Such disadvantages often outweigh any benefits associated with exercise. To reduce the risk of their occurrence, it is necessary to choose the right training program, perform exercises correctly, and also not forget about other areas of life. After all, the gym is far from the most important and interesting thing in life. If there is such an understanding, power loads will only be beneficial. As previously found out, they have quite a lot of advantages.

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Strength training for women: benefit or harm?

Many women mistakenly believe that the main indicator of the effectiveness of training in the gym is how intensely you load yourself during training. This is not entirely true. The effectiveness of training depends on its regularity and proper distribution of stress on the body.

Therefore, when you come to the gym, do not rush to grab heavy dumbbells and set weights on the machines. First learn the correct technique for doing the exercises; without it, the effectiveness of the exercises is almost zero. Always start with a 10-15 minute warm-up, the muscles should warm up well and get sufficient blood flow, this can be done on an exercise bike or a stapler. But you shouldn’t get carried away if you have strength training ahead, since all your strength can go into just that.

Some representatives of the fair half of humanity mistakenly believe that doing strength training will turn them into pumped-up “monsters,” but this is far from the case. The fact is that the male hormone testosterone is responsible for muscle growth. Women contain this hormone in very small quantities compared to men, so you won’t be able to turn into a muscleman without the use of special chemicals, even if you really want to. Testosterone production will indeed increase slightly with strength training, but this is not nearly enough to make you "blown away."

Many will ask: “Why does a woman need this?” Moreover, it seems unnecessary when you are young. Unfortunately, youth, as they say, is the only drawback that quickly passes and a woman is destined to look great until she is 25. Alas! With age, hormonal changes occur, muscle mass decreases, and the fat layer increases. Therefore, small strength loads will tone your muscles, prevent your body from becoming decrepit in adulthood, and thereby delay the onset of old age. In addition, strength training, of course, is stress for the body, positive stress. A kind of “shake-up” occurs: during strength training we move differently than usual, muscles also work differently than in ordinary life, because we use weights in the form of dumbbells and weights in exercise machines. This kind of stress is beneficial.

Of course, we are not talking about heavy training here, which has a depressing effect on all organs and systems of the body. But who forces you to set records? This is completely unnecessary, train for fun!

In addition, strength training stimulates metabolism well. Therefore, forward to a harmonious healthy body!

After classes, do not forget about stretching; during stretching, the muscles relax and tension is relieved. Remember that regular sports activities are a matter of habit; develop this habit for yourself and the results will not keep you waiting long.

We remind you that if you have serious health problems, it is better to exercise under the supervision of a sports doctor.

Well, now we bring to your attention an example of a simple strength training and the opinion of a trainer.

Zolotareva Ekaterina, 11/08/2014 Reproduction without an active link is prohibited!

It is generally accepted that strength training and weight training in the gym are men's activities . This is unacceptable for women! After all, you can pump up your muscles, become like a man, strain your back, and generally...

Heaviness is not at all for the fragile female body! Unfortunately, these misconceptions encourage already heavy-lifting women to avoid strength training in the gym. This article will clearly demonstrate to you that working with weights is the best method of comprehensive training that a woman can choose.

The main benefit from which all other benefits originate is that training with weights incredibly strengthens your muscles. And here's why it's very important for women! Be careful, our information may force you to purchase a gym membership soon.

Excessive cardio exercise

Cardio training, like all good things, should be done in moderation. It is not uncommon to experience exhaustion from daily long hours of cardio. The setup is like this - there are not enough results, which means you need to increase the load. This tactic - hours of cardio training - will not give you what you want, it will destroy muscle tissue, and you will look broken and tired. No, it's not useful.

Excessively long and intense cardio activities lead to an increase in cortisol (stress hormone), which seems to eat away at muscle tissue. The framework is as follows: from 3 to 5 times a week of cardio classes for 20-60 minutes. But not more. Include strength training and enjoy the results.

Strength training for women

1. Strength training is the best way to burn fat. Women are used to choosing the treadmill, dancing, gymnastics, aerobics and swimming pool. Of course it's better than nothing!
   But strength training is aimed at burning fat and healthy weight loss - and this is exactly what all women strive for.

   In terms of the effectiveness of reducing the percentage of body fat, no other type of physical activity can compare with training that uses weights.

2. Strength training increases your metabolic rate. This means that you will burn many more calories than usual, no matter what you do!
   It's tempting to waste calories while sitting in the office and brushing your teeth. Metabolism increases due to increased muscle mass. The best way to add muscle to your body is to do weight training.
3. Strength training builds willpower! Women who lift weights, even not too much, are more confident. They do things in everyday life that they would never have dared to do before.
   Self-confidence grows with achieving good results, even for this alone it is worth training! There is another bonus: strength training helps increase endorphins in the body.

   This means that after training you will experience an incredible emotional uplift and your overall mood will be more positive!

4. Strength training improves flexibility. If you train correctly, performing a full cycle of movements with weights, it will incredibly improve your flexibility.
   The stretching of a weightlifter is not inferior to the stretching of a practicing yogi. And flexibility is very important for a woman, agree.
5. Strength training strengthens bones. Denser, stronger bones are the result of strength training. Women prone to brittle bone tissue should start exercising with very little weight and gradually increase it. Strong bones even in old age are great!
6. Strength training helps reduce volume. Miracles: If you do strength training, your weight may increase slightly.
   This happens because muscle is heavier than fat. In addition, when they are actively working, they fill with blood and weigh more. But the volume of the hips, waist, arms decreases very quickly, the woman becomes slimmer! Since the female body produces much less testosterone than the male body, in order to become a “jock”, a woman will have to live in the gym in the literal sense of the word! Reducing volume and femininity are the companions of strength training.
7. Strength training improves joint health. Weighting has a beneficial effect on joints and promotes the release of special lubricant, which makes them mobile.
   The joints become able to withstand heavy loads without injury or fatigue, and the unpleasant crunching sensation disappears.
8. Strength training strengthens the entire body. You will become really stronger! Run fast, jump high, lift a child in your arms without effort, injury or pain.
   It is very useful to engage in strength training for women who are planning to become pregnant: this will make the process of bearing a baby easier and will help give birth without complications!

   For infertility, strength training is considered an effective treatment: Weight training, which engages the muscles of the lower body, cures gynecological problems by improving blood circulation. Strength training helps normalize hormonal levels.

9. Strength training is good for your heart. Working with weights strengthens the cardiovascular system and regulates blood pressure.
   The heart becomes trained and works without failures. The risk of stroke and heart attack in women who exercise with weights is much lower than in others. For hypertension, this is an excellent treatment method, but you need to train moderately, under the supervision of a trainer.

The good thing about strength training is that it produces results fairly quickly. After just a month of training, your body will suit you much more, it will become obedient, flexible, full of strength and energy. It will happen as if by itself...

avoid muscle pain after an intense workout It’s great that all the myths about the dangers of strength training for women turned out to be fiction! Send this article to all your friends. Don't deprive them of the opportunity to become healthy and happy.

Elena Mazitova

Many of us associate strength training with danger and pain. It is generally accepted that such training will make the female body too prominent and unattractive. But is this really so? Let's try to figure it out.

Repeating the same activity every day

This mistake is typical mainly for beginners who do not have a coach and the necessary theoretical training. The woman gathered the strength to go to the gym, and she decides to go every day for the best effect. Often, when starting out, a person does not have the information that tired muscles need rest for two days. And that's the minimum.

If training occurs daily on the same muscle groups, then they will never be able to acquire the expected strength and tone. And now a secret shared by strength athletes (by the way, more than one generation!). It consists of training one muscle group no more than once a week. It just seems crazy. When a person gives a muscle a seven-day recovery period after a very intense workout, the results will appear very quickly.

The benefits of strength training for women

Despite existing stereotypes, strength training has many benefits. First of all, weight training really helps you lose weight. Secondly, they make the body beautiful and fit. Thirdly, they speed up metabolism, which helps to quickly burn calories. In addition, during such exercises, women can improve their posture and strengthen their muscles.

When it comes to gaining muscle mass, women should not worry about this. After all, the female body does not produce enough testosterone, which affects muscle growth.

Dangerous wide-grip vertical row technique

This wrong action can be seen in almost every hall. The wide-grip vertical row is aimed at strengthening the back muscles. But often the bar is pulled only by the arms, pushed too low to the stomach, in jerks. And under no circumstances should you put it behind your head!

How to do it correctly: with a grip slightly wider than your shoulders, grab the bar and pull it up just above your chest without jerking. At this time, the body leans back slightly, the shoulder blades come together, and the chest expands - this reduces the load on the biceps, which take work from the back (don’t let them do this!).

Where to start with strength training?

Naturally, in the first month of training you should not lift 10 kg dumbbells. It is better to start with basic exercises, gradually increasing the weight of the weight. Ideally, experts advise training according to the following scheme: 8-10 repetitions, 4-5 approaches, increasing working weights.

If you are trying this type of training for the first time, it is better to seek help from a trainer. It is advisable to move on to independent exercises after you are completely confident in your actions and understand the mechanism of the impact of force loads on the body.

How to create a women's workout program

When creating a strength training program, there are a number of factors to consider:

• age. There are age restrictions for exercise;
• health status. Before classes, be sure to consult a doctor if you have any diseases or health problems about the permissible loads;
• daily regime. The training program is selected depending on the type of work, usual daily routine and nutrition. It is usually drawn up for three days a week, abdominal exercises are done at the end of the workout;
• the load should be even on all muscles. The number of repetitions is approximately the same. You should not pump any one part of your body. The figure should be harmonious;
• during classes there should be a break of about one minute between approaches;
• a good workout lasts no more than an hour, excluding time for warm-up, stretching and cardio exercises;
• the number of approaches depends on preparation and ranges from 3–5 sets of 10–20 times.

Video: how to create a training plan for girls

Nutrition before and after workouts

Nutrition before and after strength training is very important to achieve and maintain results. So, eating before training has a great impact on its performance. But eating after physical activity affects the recovery processes occurring in the body.

During strength training, the diet should be sufficiently high in calories, but food must be divided into small portions so as not to overload the internal organs.

Recommended pre-workout nutrition:

• eating should be done 1–1.5 hours before playing sports;
• it should be food rich in proteins and carbohydrates. The recommended norm is 0.4–0.5 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight, 0.4–0.5 g of carbohydrates per 1 kg of body weight;
• to add protein to the diet, include poultry (turkey, chicken, guinea fowl), fish, cottage cheese, egg whites;
• Different types of cereals are used as a source of carbohydrates - buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, etc.;
• Before classes, it is recommended to drink a cup of coffee or tea. You can add milk and an incomplete spoon of sugar;
• You can drink a glass of water before training. But during the training period, you should drink water every 20 minutes in small portions to replenish moisture lost in the body.

For post-workout nutrition, experts recommend the following:

• eat food after 30–60 minutes;
• ensure the intake of proteins and carbohydrates into the body - 0.4–0.5 g of proteins per 1 kg of body weight, 0.4–0.5 g of carbohydrates per 1 kg of body weight. In this case, quickly digestible sources of protein are needed - protein (beans, cottage cheese) and egg whites. You can purchase special protein shakes for athletes. Sweet fruits enriched with glucose are suitable as carbohydrates - apple, orange, etc. Eating a little sweet after exercise is recommended to restore hormonal and metabolic processes after physical activity;
• after physical activity, you should avoid drinks and foods containing caffeine for 2 hours - coffee, tea, chocolate, etc.;
• The next meal is taken 2–4 hours later.

Important! When losing weight, it is advisable to limit yourself to protein foods after training.

The following should be excluded from the diet:

• animal fat;
• cakes, pastries;
• fried foods that are difficult to digest;
• Cola, Pepsi, sweet soda;
• fatty meat with hot seasonings and salt.

Video: nutrition before and after training