We’ve all heard the myths. “Weight lifting makes girls bulky.” “Lifting weights is bad for your joints/bones.” I’ve even heard the rumour that if you stop lifting… your muscles will turn to fat (that’s not physiologically possible, by the way).

[Let me add here that “bulky” is also a term created by fad magazines to scare women away from training hard. Let me also add that there is also absolutely nothing wrong with being “bulky” if you are female. If you are happy, confident and healthy, then who gives a damn?]

Weightlifting is not dangerous, it’s not bad for your joints (it’s actually very good for them, but we can talk about that later on) and it’s not going to make you “bulky”. Cakes make women bulky. MacDonald’s makes women bulky. 10 pints of beer on a Friday night makes women bulky. An unhealthy attitude makes women bulky (the same goes for men, obviously, but I’m just here to talk about the girls!).

So I’m here, with the majority of the CrossFit community, to call bullshit and tell you why lifting weights is THE best thing can you do for not just your body, but your mind as well.

It’s a topic I’m rather passionate about, as you can tell. Reason being: When I started resistance style training (CrossFit) I was 63kgs, a size 12 on the bottom and a size 10 on the top. I’ve now been doing CrossFit for four years. I still weight 63kgs, but I’m now a size 8-10 on the bottom and a size 8 on top. At no point have I been, what society has dubbed, “bulky.” However, I am so much stronger than I ever thought I could be and the stronger I’m getting, the smaller I’m actually becoming.

There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, women simply do not generate the levels of testosterone necessary for a “bulky” physique.   Testosterone is the primary muscle-building hormone in the body and, since women have significantly less of it, packing on muscle mass is significantly harder in comparison to our male counterparts.

Secondly, women who do want to build a more muscular physique have to work incredibly hard and train in a specific manner to attain maximum muscle growth. They have to dedicate hours to their training and eating and take specific supplements to look that way. This process can take years to achieve the desired results.

So, lets get down to business and discuss the amazing benefits of regular weight training and being a badass!

• Lifting weights increases your metabolic rate and promotes fat loss (better than cardio!)

Lifting weights is an incredibly effective method of raising your metabolic rate. This is because muscles actually require energy (calories) in order to function. If you increase the amount of muscle mass you have in your body you will increase your metabolic rate and, in turn, burn more fat. Lifting weights raises your metabolism long after you’ve finished training. Therefore, the more muscles you have, the more calories you will burn during the day and even when at rest.

In order to build muscles you need to do heavy resistance training. Lifting heavy weight in small sets (3-5 reps) will increase the amount of muscle mass in the body – making us stronger, increasing our metabolism and keeping our muscles toned and tight.

• Confidence

I will put money on that if I were to ask any of the girls CrossFit Victoria to rate their confidence levels now compared to when they started… there would be a huge increase and it wont just be their body confidence that has improved. Granted, when you start to lose weight your confidence with what you see in the mirror will skyrocket. But, more importantly, your confidence within yourself as a whole will bloom.

You will always improve in the gym and with improvement undoubtedly comes confidence.   The numbers never lie. Once you start to see your lifts getting heavier, or your technique getting better, this will have a huge positive impact on your sense of self worth (which is, inherently, what confidence is). This sense of accomplishment will transfer over to your every day life and you will find all areas of your life positively impacted by the amazing things you do with a barbell.

For women, being able to ‘lift’ can also be incredibly empowering. Being physically strong will help you realise that you are capable of so much more than what you, or society says you (a woman), are capable of.   It will teach you that with dedication you can achieve anything. You will begin to focus on what is possible rather than what is not. You will learn how to set and smash your goals and destroy the age-old stigma that women are the weaker sex.

• General health benefits

There are a myriad of health benefits to be obtained from weightlifting. By picking up the bar you can drastically reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular problems. Weightlifting promotes increases in blood flow to your limbs and decreases your blood pressure, not just during, but for long periods of time after your workout.

Weightlifting also helps your body to regulate blood sugar levels and respond better to insulin, therefore, significantly decreasing your risk of developing diabetes.

As you age, you naturally lose muscle and bone mass and as a result your risk of developing osteoporosis increases. This risk is higher in women as our bones are naturally smaller to begin with. Strength training is an awesome way to combat this as it strengthens bones by increasing bone density.

It can be daunting at first, but don’t be afraid to ask for help. The benefits of weightlifting are endless and it is a journey you will be so glad you started.

Let me finish by saying that if your diet sucks, then no amount of strength training, cardio or anything else will help you achieve your weight loss goals. You’ve heard the saying: “Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym,” well it’s 100% true. A good diet is the key to achieving results, whether they be weight loss or muscle gain.

Please stay tuned for our next article about how you can eat your way to success in the gym, mirror and life!