Weight Training For Women

If you’ve been following my fitness journey, you know that I am SO passionate about weight training. 

Weight training makes me feel strong, empowered and confident.

I believe it’s important to find a form of exercise that you genuinely love. If you find something you truly enjoy, I guarantee you’ll look forward to working out and improving your health.

If you’re curious to learn more about weight training, keep reading and let me share with you why I love it so much! 

What is weight training? 

To put it simply, it’s exercise that makes your muscles work against a weight or force, so that they get stronger and increase in size, while you maintain your form and build stamina.

My style of weight training is designed to sculpt muscle, burn fat and increase overall fitness. It’s these values that are at the core of my PWR and PWR at Home programs. 

My programs are designed to deliver an AMAZING experience —  not just a workout. I want women in my community to feel the same phenomenal benefits I did after a really great weight training session.

Weight training is for everyone

One of the most unexpected things I encountered in the early days of my fitness journey was the perception that weight training can make you less feminine. 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; I couldn’t disagree more!

I believe anyone who wants to feel STRONG, CONFIDENT and EMPOWERED should try weight training. It’s as simple as that.

Why you should try weight training

Young or old, weight training doesn’t discriminate! Whether you’re training in a gym and want to challenge yourself further, or training at home, weight training is SO empowering for ALL women.

Empowering yourself is about uncovering the strength and power that’s already within you! YOU are already strong, and powerful. 

When you commit to caring for yourself, building a stronger body and mind through weight training, you give yourself permission to unleash your inner strength. 

Wherever you are in the journey of your life, committing to becoming stronger enables you to be a better you.

And you don’t need to work out for long periods of time: you simply need to start and challenge yourself to stick with it! 

Benefits of weight training 

There are so many benefits to weight training! I believe the non-physical benefits you can expect to feel are JUST as important as the physical benefits you can expect to see. It’s all about uncovering your inner strength and power.

Non-physical benefits include:

• Better sleep 
• Increased energy
• Increased confidence 
• Enhanced memory and mental focus 

Physical benefits include:

• Increased muscle mass 
• Prevention of muscle mass loss 
• Preservation of bone density 
• Increased bone density 
• Faster metabolism

These are just some of my favorite benefits of weight training — I could go on forever!

Reaping in any or all of these benefits can improve your overall health SO much and will make all your efforts worth it.

How to choose the right weight for you 

Finding the right weight to begin with can be daunting. The trick is to play it safe and don’t go too heavy too soon. 

Of course, you want to challenge yourself, but it’s important you don’t put your body or health at risk. Your health should ALWAYS come first.

The biggest consideration should be how many repetitions you plan to complete.

If you’re completing fewer repetitions, the weight should be heavier than if you are completing a larger number of repetitions. 

The takeaway: start with a light weight — whatever feels comfortable yet challenging for YOU — and build up over time as you become stronger and more confident to lift more.

How to incorporate weight training in your exercise routine 

A well-rounded fitness routine includes weight training to improve joint function, bone density and muscle, tendon and ligament strength. Don’t forget, it should also include aerobic exercise to improve your heart and lung fitness, flexibility and balance exercises. 

For a beginner, two to three sessions a week is the perfect way to start! As you become more experienced, you can start to increase the intensity of your training as your muscles adapt and your strength increases.

As far as frequency goes, the most important thing is to stay safe. You want to make sure you are building up the frequency of your workouts slowly to reduce the risk of injury from overtraining.

Once you’ve found your feet and feel comfortable with weight training, it’s best to vary your routine every six to eight weeks to ensure you’re continuing to improve and build strength. 

You can do this by adjusting your sets, repetitions, exercises, intensity and the number of sessions you complete each week.

Don’t skip warming up or cooling down 

Regardless of the exercise you’re doing, you should always make time for warming up and cooling down! Weight training is no different.  

Warming up gets your blood flowing and, importantly, gets your muscles ready for the workout ahead. Skipping this step could increase your risk of injury, so it’s SO important to warm up.

Cooling down is just as important. I encourage you to really slow down and breathe during this time. Relax, stretch and BE PRESENT, so you notice your heart rate beginning to slow. 

Cooling down is also the perfect time to take a moment for yourself. 

Recognize your amazing efforts and feel proud of yourself for working out to better your health and lifestyle. You’re doing an incredible job.

The importance of correct form

Correct form is SO important. It minimises the risk of injury and gives you the best chance to achieve the results you really want. 

I always emphasise the non-physical benefits of fitness, but I understand so many of you want to see physical results, too.

The most important thing is that you are working towards attainable, healthy and personalized goals.

Completing movements and repetitions with correct form will also allow you to get the most out of the workout and reap in the physical benefits of weight training.

Getting form right 

To get your form right, follow all your workout instructions as closely as possible. 

Don’t rush! It’s better to take your time and properly execute a movement rather than smashing out more reps and exposing yourself to potential injury. 

If you work out with a friend or in a group, make sure you look out for each other, too. 

Sometimes, it can be hard to see whether your form is correct, but the people around you may be able to easily spot mistakes and bring them to your attention to fix. Let them know you’re open to them helping you.

What can happen if you get it wrong? 

There’s no end to how damaging incorrect form can be. Take your time to get it right. 

You’re actually wasting your time working out if you’re not doing it with correct form.

Modify if you need to 

Modifying exercises to suit YOUR ability and YOUR body is totally OK. 

Every person and body is different. It’s important to know your limits and not push yourself too far. Be kind to yourself.

For example, if you’re postpartum you might modify an exercise that strongly targets your core. 

All that matters is that YOU are trying YOUR best every day and working towards YOUR fitness goals.

Rest is just as important as training 

Listening to your body and resting when necessary is really important for your fitness journey. 

If you don’t rest when you need to, you increase the chance of injuring your body. It’s just not worth it! 

After weight training especially, your muscles need time to repair so they can develop strength and size.

A favourite trick of mine is to take a bath if my muscles are feeling especially sore. This can encourage blood flow to assist in delivering nutrients for repair and the removal of waste products from muscle tissue.

And remember to always hydrate after a workout, too, to assist with muscle recovery.

Resting DOESN’T make you weak. If you need to take a day off to recover, don’t beat yourself up. Instead, focus on the amazing things you were able to achieve then get back into it! 

Let’s level up your fitness game

Weight training is such a phenomenal form of exercise for anyone who wants to gain confidence, increase overall fitness and empower themselves. 

Whether you’re at the beginning of your fitness journey and considering PWR or PWR at Home or want to try something new, weight training is the perfect form of exercise to incorporate into your routine and lifestyle! 

What’s stopping you from trying weight training? I’d love to hear if this article helped you or if there’s anything else you would LOVE me to write about to help you feel empowered and get moving. Feel free to comment below!

Kels xx