Shattering the Myth That Women Shouldn’t Lift Heavy

When I first took a nose dive into fitness, I tried so hard to follow all of the rules. Every women’s fat loss tip I ever found went into a notebook and onto the drawing board. I believed that women shouldn’t lift heavy. That the fat loss range was 12-15 and if It took me years of trial and error to realize that most of what I was reading about women’s fat loss…was actually a load of crap designed to make me think I needed to buy supplements and spend hours on the treadmill.

Here’s what I wish I had known about lifting heavier way back when, and what you should know now!

MYTH: Women Shouldn’t Lift Heavy

Of all of the myths out their about women’s fat loss, ditching this one is what changed my body, my mindset and my body composition the most (and the fastest). Let’s go ahead and just bust the crap out of the myth that women shouldn’t lift heavy.

The weight room can be intimidating. Why the 40 foot long shelf of weights? What do you even do with 20+ handles in the box next to the cable machine? WHAT is a that Glute Abductor Machine and why does it not look PG 13?

But if you are not moving your way from the 5-pound dumbbells of the aerobics room to the rubber matted floor of the weight room…the time is NOW.

While it’s true, more and more women are recognizing the benefits of weight training, there’s still a lot of adherence to the idea that working out for fat loss requires 3 sets or endless reps of lighter weights. The truth is: if you want to really change your body composition and really lose fat while adding strong, toned muscle, heavier weights is where it’s at.

Babe, it’s time to lift heavy.

I’ve been working out for a very (very), long time. But it wasn’t until I traded in my 8 and 10 pound dumbbells for grunt-worthy barbell squats that I started seeing major transformations in my body. A few years ago I found Mind Pump Media. And while yes, the authors and founders are 4 beefy men with a history of bulking up for competitions, their programs changed the way I thought about my body, training and fat loss.

Lifting heavy is what actually helps you build muscle (notice I did not say “bulk up”). Lifting heavy is what gives your metabolism a hefty boost. Lifting heavy is what gives your that sculpted, toned look that makes every piece of clothing fit just that much better. And lifting heavy is what makes you walk out of the gym feeling like a rock star.

What Does Lifting Heavy Mean?

So what does lifting heavy even mean? The long and the short of it (and also my favorite answer to any fitness question) is: that depends on you.

It means challenging yourself to lift a little bit more today than you did last week, or last month, or last year. How do you know you’re lifting more? The best, most accurate way is to track your workouts:

If you have reached the end of your set and you’re not fatigued (aka you feel like you could do 3+ more reps), you’re not lifting heavy enough.

Why You Should Start (or Continue) Lifting Heavy

There are a lot of reasons to lift heavy. I can’t list them all here, but know that it’s an essential component to reaching your fat loss goals!

#1: You’ll Give Your Metabolism a Boost

Muscle burns more calories (even at rest), than fat. In fact, one pound of muscle burns 3 times as many calories per day (roughly 6 in comparison to 2), than the same weight in fat. Is it a huge difference? Maybe not, but for a woman looking to lose fat without monotonously restricting calories, every little bit counts.

#2: You’ll Feel Stronger, and Work Out Harder

Another benefit of building muscle is that you’ll get stronger, and you’ll feel stronger, which means you’ll be more likely to work out harder and longer. The result? Extra calories burned, more muscle built, and fuel added to the metabolic fire.

#3: Your Clothes Will Fit Better

Even if you don’t see your weight on the scale drop (in fact, even if you see the number go up), building muscle and losing fat will take inches off your hips, waist, thighs, butt…and so on. Fat takes up more space than muscle, and so 1 pound of fat lost, and replaced by muscle means your clothes fit better.

#4 You Will Sleep More Soundly

There is a direct link between working out, specifically strength training, and sleep. One of the major benefits of lifting weights is that it helps to regulate vital bodily functions, like hormone production, blood pressure and blood glucose. Plus, your strength training workout requires recovery – best met in the form of a good night’s’ rest.

How to Start Lifting Heavier

Here is what you need to know, and do, before stepping under the barbell.

First, master the basics.

Form comes first, no matter the goal. If you don’t feel comfortable executing light weight squats, dead lifts, chest presses and other major movements, ask a trainer or spotter for help getting those down pat. Remember, if your form is iffy when you’re shoulder pressing 8 pounders, you can do real damage when you start reaching for heavier weights. *This isn’t meant to scare you off – you should be using great form with the 8-pounders too! Think of this as encouragement to ask a pro for help.

Then, as you start lifting heavier weights, dial down the reps.

While every “women’s fat loss” program on the internet has you doing 3 sets of 12-15 reps, that’s not the range you’ll necessarily be in when you increase the resistance. Instead, as you pick up heavier and heavier weights, you’ll find that you are maxing out at 10, or 8, or even 6 reps. That’s okay! You’re getting a great workout!

Start by going heavier with big exercises that use major muscle groups, like your glutes, quads and hamstrings.

Why? Because these muscles are naturally stronger. With movements like squats, dead lifts and lunges, the work is spread out between a few different muscles. You’re less likely to overdue it this way.

Finally, don’t forget to schedule recovery practices (and days).

You might find that you come away from heavy lifting workouts feeling sorer and more tired then you are used to (especially if you have been lifting the same weights for years, or not lifting at all). You’re challenging your body in new ways – that’s a good thing! It will grow!

A few good rest/recovery practices you can adhere to:

• Rest in between sets. Give yourself 45-90 seconds to recover in between lifts in order to allow your muscles enough time to fully recover for another big set.
• Schedule rest days. You might find that you are sorer than usual 1 and even 2 days out. Schedule time off with active recovery (swimming, walking, light yoga or stretching).
• Finish with a protein shake. Heavy lifting drains your energy supply and creates small tears in your muscles. A protein shake with a simple carb (like a banana), will help refuel your glycogen stores and jump start recovery and muscle building.

Overcoming Common Roadblocks

Despite knowing that you can reap a multitude of benefits from strength training and lifting heavier weights, there are some definite factors holding a lot of women back. Here’s what I’ve found to be the major culprits, and some ideas of how to overcome.

I don’t know what to do

No one wants to wander around the gym floor looking like a newbie. Which is unfortunately why a lot of women restrict themselves to the aerobics room or cardio area. Most gyms offer a free intro or training session. Check at the front desk about yours. Or, hire a trainer for a few sessions to show you the basics.

I’m the only women in the weight room

Babe, own it. Here’s what I do: put on headphones (loud and female singer proud #Beyonceradio). Have your workout written down so that you know exactly where you’re going. Where something you feel cute in (no more old sweatshirts with holes in the collar).

And remember: chances are, most people are trying to keep to themselves just as much as you are.

I don’t want to bulk up.

Drum roll please! Science says: even if you wanted to get bulked up (think sparkly bikini and greased up Arnold muscles on stage), you’d have a really tough time getting there. Even if you started to lift heavy on a daily basis, you’d have to eat a LOT more, spend more hours than you or I have in a day at the gym, and most likely alter your natural hormones to get there. I promise you, lifting heavier weights will not only NOT bulk you up, it will lean you out fast.

So, where do you go from here?

To the gym of course!

In all seriousness, lifting heavier weights changed my life…and my body. I’m completely enamored with it and believe it’s truly the path to success for so many fitness goals. Interested in learning more about it, and maybe starting on your own path to success? Click below to schedule a free, Fitness Strategy consultation with me and we’ll talk about how you can take your goals and turn them into reality.