Strength Training

Strength training is not just for the body builders, athletes, and experienced gym goers anymore.

When I first started dabbling with weights in the gym it was a very rare for me to see another girl lifting. This made it extremely intimidating for me! I felt that oh-so-relatable spotlight effect; that everyone knew I was new and was staring at me.

Over a few months through college lifting became more and more popular for women, and I loooove it!!

Strength training can still be very intimidating for women and for anyone who is not experienced in lifting weights. So let's break it down.

What is strength training?

Strength training is simply the type of exercise that you use resistance to build strength, skeletal muscle, and muscular endurance.

What are the benefits of strength training?

First of all, there are an endless list of why strength training is beneficial, but here are a few!

• Makes you stronger and fitter

• Improves bone, muscle, and joint health

• Helps to prevent chronic disease

• Decreases injury risk

• Helps control blood sugar

• Improves mental health

• Improves brain functioning and health

How do you implement strength training?

You don't have to jump right into lifting weights in the gym. If this is something you are uneducated on, scared of, or don't feel comfortable doing alone, research some sample beginner exercises or hire a trainer (hi, you can always reach out to me for my services or any questions!!)

Instead of lifting weights you can use your own body weight or resistance bands as a great tool!

Having a well rounded workout program is crucial to hit all the pillars of health. This includes performing strength training, flexibility training, and cardiovascular training!

Here is a sample workout for beginners lifting weights!

All exercises can be performed for 3-4 rounds and 15 reps each:

1. Bicep curls (dumbbell)

2. Body weight squat

3. Bench dips

4. Shoulder press (dumbbell)

5. Push ups

6. Step ups

7. Lat pull down machine