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Like any sport, strength training can benefit or harm the body if done incorrectly. What are the features of such activities for women? Which myths about women’s training are worth believing and which are not?
Strength training has always been considered a male occupation. And around training for women began to walk a lot of myths about the dangers of strength training. Is strength training bad for women?
Features of women’s strength training
Strength training is called exercises to increase muscle mass, strength and endurance. As a rule, this is resistance or traction of its own weight or additional weights: dumbbells, barbells, bodybars.
Unlike the male body, the female body contains extremely low levels of testosterone, the hormone responsible for muscle growth. Because of this, strength training in women is more focused on burning fat than building muscle. Without hormone therapy, a girl will never be able to create a masculine muscular relief. For women’s activities, heavy weight is not needed. Enough own weight or a pair of dumbbells 2-3 kg.
The most popular form of strength aerobics for women is body sculpt.
The benefits and harms of women’s strength training
Strength training for women with the right approach and a measured pace of load has a large number of advantages:
- The ability to lose weight and model a figure, having worked out those areas that need it, such as legs or buttocks.
- Strengthen bones by increasing the level of mineralization.
- Normalize the hormonal background and the production of endorphins – hormones of happiness.
- Strengthen the cardiovascular and nervous system.
In the process of strength training, the muscles actively lose oxygen, after which they continue to burn fat for a long time. This is why strength training is so effective for weight loss.
A healthy person who has no contraindications to sports activities cannot be harmed by a power load. The main condition: it should increase gradually and evenly. If you immediately take a lot of weight, a woman risks injury, such as muscle strain. But after all, a man is not immune from such a situation.
Myths about women’s strength training
There are many myths surrounding women’s fitness related to strength training. Here are the main ones:
1. Masculine figure
When we imagine a woman after strength training, we see a picture in our head with pumped bodybuilders. However, the girl will not be able to physically achieve such a result without hormone therapy. Therefore, the relief of the fair sex is a dry muscular corset, which forms a beautiful, feminine figure. And in order to get really desired forms, devote more time to problem areas and the lower half of the body.
2. Weight is growing
This is not a myth. Weight really grows along with an increase in muscle mass. The reason for this is that the muscles that replace fat weigh much more. At the same time, the figure takes on a beautiful shape.
3. Loss of flexibility
And this is not a myth either. But flexibility can be maintained and increased if a set of stretching exercises is performed after each workout. With this approach, you can not only acquire a beautiful figure, but also develop flexibility and grace.
4. Cardio is more effective
There is a myth that cardio is more effective for weight loss. In the short term, this is true. Especially if you take into account the number on the scales as a result. Indeed, from a power load, weight can slowly grow, while the figure acquires a slender outline.
But if you need complex weight loss, strength training allows you to burn fat more actively. After such a load, the muscles continue to be saturated with oxygen for a long time (up to 24 hours) and burn fat deposits for this.
In addition, cardio training requires more stringent dietary restrictions. And with a power load, you can afford to eat a daily calorie intake for a person who is not losing weight and still not get better. The power load starts the metabolic processes more actively and has a longer lasting effect.
Thus, the power load for women does not have a negative impact. Sports are useful in any form, and with the right approach, strength exercises will be a good help for strengthening the body and losing weight.