Ladies, if you want get fit, you need to lift weights.
Learn the many benefits of strength training, and get started with my complete training plan!
Weightlifting won’t make you bulky or turn you into a ‘she-hulk’
But you will gain confidence, self-esteem, and a sexy body.
How do I know? 10 years ago I was skinny, lacking in focus and drive. I’d always been active coming from a professional dance background, but ‘active’ outside of dancing for me meant being a cardio bunny, running on a treadmill and the occasional “play with light dumbbells”. I could never understand why I couldn’t get the lean, athletic, feminine body I yearned for. I spent hours at the gym and I was always consistent so why? I danced every day, I ran for my life, I ate well…so why did I not have the body of Nicole Wilkins already?
It was simple, IRON! The answer came to me when I made friends with IRON! Since then strength training and functional fitness regimes have been my go to and my passion. They have enabled me to sculpt the body I have always wanted. I have a more desirable physique now at 30 than I did when I was 20. I feel better about myself and I have more confidence in every possible way and I love working with people to get them there too!
While I am so grateful to have the opportunity to coach and inspire many women who understand, appreciate and engage in regular strength training, I’m not ignorant to the fact there are still tonnes of myths and misunderstandings surrounding women and heavy weight training. I am here to help women begin, develop, continue, grow in confidence and believe in themselves.
But before I talk about why those ideas are myths rather than truths, let’s talk about the many many benefits that lifting weights provides!
THINK THE KEY TO A FIT PHYSIQUE IS STRICT CARDIO? THINK AGAIN.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO BE STRONG?
Metabolism and muscles:
First and foremost, lifting weights can be effective for fat loss. The more muscle a woman has, the more calories she will burn at rest. So, basically, muscles are high maintaince, they cost energy to maintain, resulting in more effective fat loss, even when your sitting on the couch.
Bone health:
Lifting weights regularly can increase and maintain bone density. Those of us in our 20s and 30s don’t think about this often, but someday you will. When the time comes you’ll be happy you lifted weights and cared for your bone density before you even knew you needed to.
Independence:
Being strong makes everything easier. You know that furniture you need moved? Well, now you can do it yourself. How about the trolly full of shopping you need to carry to your car? ALL YOU!
Strength allows you to function independently everyday – that type of strength feels awesome and rewarding and stays with you well into old age.
Confidence:
Strong girls exude a confidence that is intoxicating. I happen to believe that this comes from the knowledge that you can accomplish pretty impressive feats at the gym. When you realise your outer strength, you can tap into your inner strength, that begins to radiate. Confidence is a very attractive quality, and that gym confidence starts to leak into every other aspect of life.
If you can crush it in the gym, you can crush it at life.
GIRL, YOU WON’T GET BULKY. HERE’S WHY.
Hormones:
Women simply do not possess the level of testosterone necessary to support a bulky bodybuilders physique. Furthermore, any woman who does have a massively muscular physique is probably supplementing with hormones (another post for another time).
While we all have different genetics, and some of us are prone to having more muscle density than others, as a general rule, you have to train for bulk to get bulk.
Ask any female bodybuilder and they will tell you that gaining muscle isn’t easy.
You won’t turn into a she-hulk just because you perform squats with your body weight, but you will end up with a sexy booty!
Training model:
Like genetics, the way you train will play a significant role in determining how your body develops. Hypertrophy (building muscle tissue) is not as easy as you might think, and most bodybuilders work incredibly hard to make sure their training programme supports maximum muscle growth in as short a time span as possible.
I have trained with many women, and not a single one has come to me with the complaint that their programme has made them too bulky. As a general rule, most women I train are put on 3-5 workouts per week consisting of a variety of upper / lower / push / pull training splits and full-body free-weight training (squats, lunges, deadlifts, pull-ups, push-ups, rows, presses), kettlebell training (swings, snatches), and interval training.
The key is to utilise as many compound, combination, and full-body movements as possible, so that we’re increasing lean mass and decreasing fat simultaneously, rather than isolating muscle groups to increase their size.
Of course, much of this is dependent upon your diet, and a bulking diet looks different to a solid nutritional protocol for a woman on a fat-loss programme. The bottom line is that the way you eat and train will determine how your body develops. A full-body training programme and a diet rich in protein, veggies, non starchy carbs and healthy fats is an effective path toward fat loss and strength for most women.
SO NOW WHAT?
Maybe I’ve convinced you. Perhaps now, you’re thinking you’re going to toss your three kg weights, hop off the treadmill, and give this whole strength thing a shot.
Where should you begin?
With pro prep coaching!
sign up for our online coaching and body transformation programs!
We cannot wait to get started to help you achieve and surpass your goals!
