Whilst there is a place for all fitness activities, weight training (or resistance/strength training) has the most benefit when compared to others in the long term. Let’s look at other modalities and their benefits, and limitations; 

• Pilates is amazing for posture and correcting deeper muscles like the glutes and abdominals. It is functional but there is a limit to the amount of load you can add over time
• Yoga is amazing for mobility and strength, but only to a point. The only load you can apply is that of your own body, so eventually your only progression will be more mobility, but there is a limit to mobility necessity in the long term. 
• Cardio is great for heart health, but often impractical (weather-dependent) and things like running is destructive to most women’s knee joints
• High intensity interval training is ok in theory, but often too much for a woman’s nervous system and it also impacts the joints
• Crossift is aggressive for most women and the exercises are way outside of their capacity, particularly if they don’t have good posture
• Team sports are great for social interaction and as a solution to an ADD-like personality (shiny things everywhere!), but without strong hips we are prone to knee, ankle and hamstrings injury when another player crashes into us or if we change direction too quickly. 

Then we have weight training – a controlled, measured, practical indoor activity with no limitations, outside of those you come across when you skip foundational practices, like learning good technique or sticking to fundamental principles. 

As you can see, it’s my favourite!

Weight training is great for; 

• Heart health,
• Circulation 
• Blood pressure
• Pregnancy, particularly for postural changes throughout the baby’s development
• Body density 
• Nervous system resilience 
• Body composition and weight loss if desired,
• Healthy metabolism, 
• Posture,
• Injury prevention and recovery, and
• Personal power

(The personal power one is my favourite).

You will just feel stronger from the inside out if you train regularly and do the basics well. I have trained women of all ages and I have never had one of them say it’s not the best thing she’s ever done for herself! 

You don’t have to be a bodybuilder or enter a crossfit competition, so ignore all of that crazy stuff. Just do two sessions per week to reap rewards for your mind and body (especially if you focus on building that posterior chain as I mentioned previously!). 

So what are you waiting for!?

STRENGTH TRAINING FOR WOMEN

Check out Female Training for an in-depth journey into weight training where you will learn amazing technique, receive 12-months worth of training programs and much, much more.

Hope to see you in there!

Jen x