Women lift too and it is not as shocking as a lot of people would think it to be. Well, the confusing part is why don’t more women lift weights more often? Firstly, there are no gender biases when it comes to weight lifting, anyone can lift weights anywhere. And secondly, there are many reasons as to why you should be lifting weights right now. Let us look at some of them:
1) Lifting weight helps you lose enormous amounts of calories. Not only that, it prevents you from losing muscles. Instead, it builds mass and helps you lose weight. Cardio helps you lose fat too, but whether it will help you build mass in areas you want mass in, is the question here.
2) Weight lifting not only makes your stronger, it also helps you prevent injuries.
3) Heard of osteoporosis? It is a health condition, pertaining to the bones, that affects millions of people, especially women. Lifting weights reduces the chances of you being affected by it because when you lift weights, you engage your muscles, tendons and indirectly, your bones as well.
4) Lifting increases your metabolism. It gives a boost to your heart rate and makes sure that your heart remains healthy. A lot of you might question that by saying that blood pressure usually rises if you lift weights. To that, we would like to say that post workout, your blood pressure increases, definitely. But in the long run, this increased blood flow, caused due to oxygen deficits, makes your heart stronger.
5) For women who think that weight training will make them ‘big’, you must know that there are various kinds of exercises that help you get muscular without gaining a lot of mass. It also depends on your diet.
Now, let us look at the best weight lifting workout tips for women to help them improve their strength and endurance:
Exercise #1
Dumbbell Bench Press
Instructions:
Step 1: Lie down on the bench in the way that your feet are either on the floor or on the bench. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms over your chest. Maintain a slight bend in your elbows and do not lock them.
Step 2: Now, bend your elbows down, sideways to lower the dumbbells to the side of your chest. Engage your arms and shoulders while you do this.
Step 3: Hold for a second and push your arms back up. Repeat.
Do 2 sets of 15 reps each.
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Also, read 6 Best Chest Exercises with Dumbbells To Build Your Chest
Exercise #2
Weighted Hip Thrusts
Instructions:
Step 1: Sit on the floor and place your back against a bench. Bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the ground.
Step 2: Roll a barbell on the bend over your thighs and below your torso. Hold it firmly and place your elbows on the bench.
Step 3: Push through your legs with your shoulders on the bench and lift your hips off the ground until your back is parallel to the floor.
Step 4: Get back down to the initial position and repeat.
Do 2 sets of 15 reps each.
Also, read 7 Top Hip Exercises To Strengthen Your Hips
Exercise #3
Russian Twists
Instructions:
Step 1: Sit on the floor and bend your knees to place your feet on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in front of your chest.
Step 2: Keep your back straight and lift your legs off the floor. Bend your upper body back such that you are sitting on your hips.
Step 3: Twist to the right and then to the left. Take the weights with you as you go. Keep repeating the motion and remember to keep your back straight.
Do this exercise for 2 minutes with 20 seconds break in the middle.
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Exercise #4
Barbell Deadlifts
Instructions:
Step 1: Stand on the floor and place a barbell in front of you. Your feet must be hip width apart.
Step 2: Keep your back straight and bend your knees and go forward by bending at your hips. Hold the barbell such that your palms are farther than hip width apart. Your palms must face your body.
Step 3: Push your hips forward, straighten your legs and get back up while holding the barbell. Keep the weights close to your body as you do it.
Step 4: With a flat back, get back to the initial position and repeat.
Do 2 sets of 12-15 reps each.
Exercise #5
Tricep Extensions
Instructions:
Step 1: Sit on a bench and hold a dumbbell with both hands. Extend your arms over your head and keep your upper arms close to your ears. Your elbows will point forward.
Step 2: Keep your back straight and your upper arms fixed. Bend your elbows to lower the dumbbell behind your head towards your lower back. Go down until your forearms touch your biceps.
Step 3: Push back up to get to the initial position and repeat.
Do 2 sets of 15 reps each.
Exercise #6
Leaning Camel
Instructions:
Step 1: Sit on your knees such that your thighs are at 90 degrees with the floor.
Step 2: Hold a dumbbell with both hands and bring it close to your chest.
Step 3: Lean back as your engage your glutes and use your ab muscles to keep your back straight. Go as far as you can.
Step 4: Get back up and repeat.
Do 2 sets of 15 reps each.
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