Get Ready to Lift Like a Woman!

By Amanda Gannon-Welligee Coach

Somewhere beneath the popular women’s fitness magazines and online “tone your entire body in 5 minutes” workout routines, women have lost sight of what their true fitness potential can be. I can attribute this to several different causes; fear of injury/embarrassment, fear of getting bulky, or flat out doubt in what their body is truly capable of.

As you can see, the underlying cause in the majority of these situations is fear. Fear of walking onto the gym floor with larger men and picking up that barbell. Fear that others will be watching and judging their regimen. Or, rightfully so, fear that poor technique or incorrect amount of weight will lead to injury. Commonly, this leads to an absence of (or a very sad attempt at) the strength training component of the equation, only leaving women falling short of their true physical potential.

Fear can be our friend in keeping us from doing erratic things, but when it comes to fitness, us women need to trust that our bodies are much stronger than we think they are. Of course, if you are new to fitness, it may be beneficial to enlist the help of a professional. With all of the garbage floating around the internet and magazines, it can be a struggle just to find a regimen to believe in.

Commitment is another major piece of the puzzle. Completing 8-minute abs once a week isn’t going to give you the beach body you are looking for. Sticking to a program that is consistently progressing you to heavier weights and more challenging movements will keep your body in a constant state of improvement.

Enter in the next fear. “But heavier weights will make me bulky!” Wrong! This is a myth that I myself succumbed to during my early fitness years with the idea that lifting heavy had a direct correlation to losing femininity. This lead to a few years of chronic cardio and minimal strength gains. Let me make it simple. The amount of muscle you gain relies on several factors, one major factor being testosterone. Let’s face the truth ladies, our bodies are not pumping this hormone to the degree of our male counterparts. If you are lifting challenging weights that allow you to complete a set of 8–12 repetitions and leave you feeling truly fatigued afterward, you are on point. If you think your 3-pound hand weights are getting you into this zone, think again. It is often the weights or movements that we fear that allow us to in fact see the results we are hoping for. Chronic cardio will not make you lose fat at the rate you are hoping for. To most effectively build lean muscle mass and burn fat, a well-balanced program with both strength and cardio exercise (especially of a higher intensity) is required.

If it is not a fear of getting bulky that stops us, it is often doubt. More times than not, when I explain a new exercise to a female client, I often get a look that says, “is that a joke?” But it is after they give it a try and succeed that we experience the high fives and huge confidence boost. If they were on their own, they would have talked themselves out of it, or not even considered it. I am told this almost on a daily basis. It is the trust that someone believed that they were capable that gave them the drive to complete it. Find this confidence within yourself. As long as you are approaching your exercise routine in a safe and systematic way, you need to push yourself beyond what feels comfortable. If you think you feel awesome walking out of a comfortable workout, try one that was uncomfortable at times but brought your movements to a whole new level. These are the days you walk around with a “I’m ready for anything” mindset.

The empowerment of knowing what your body is capable of can reach far beyond the gym setting leading to a more self-respecting lifestyle. Do yourself a favor and throw away the belief that women are little delicate flowers and live to your maximum potential both physically and mentally.

Want to find out how we can help you? For more information, you can reach us on our Contact Us page or call us at 630.904.0300