Should women strength train? Yup

[Jarsh82]

After working for about a year in and around the ER I've been preaching to all the women that I know that they really need to start a strength training program. Increased muscle mass raises your metabolism and increases your insulin sensitivity so if you have a family history of obesity or diabetes you should definitely start putting on some lean muscle mass now while you're young. Strength training has also been shown to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and even increase bone density is those already diagnosed with osteoporosis. This time of year I see dozens of women in their forties and fifties with broken wrists or shoulders from slipping on ice when it should have only resulted in some bruises. This is the result of decades of a sedentary life style and a culture that encourages women to be skinny rather than strong. If you want to be healthy and active later in life then spend less time on the treadmill and spend some more time in the squat rack. Are their any women here who strength train? Anyone intimidated to start a strength program because of cultural factors?

 

[Fappy]

I'm a dude, but I should really just work out in general. Thank the gods I have a fast metabolism, otherwise I'd be fucked. I keep starting routines and then abandon them like a week or two into it.

 

[Illesdan]

I'm a large/tall (5' 10") female and I started lifting weights when I was 18. The reason I started? Desperation. I'm actually a very physically active person, but for some reason, I don't lose weight for nothing. It took over three years of weight-training, but eventually I lost 50lbs. Seriously, it's the only workout I've done in my life that has taken off weight instead of packing it on or just staying exactly the same.

Treadmills, and virtually every other outdoor activity that they move indoors, is a useless waste of time. It doesn't even help build stamina, it's just like playing video games; a big waste of time. Go play a round of disc golf at the park, then see how good a shape you're in after a full game.

I'm 10+ years older than most of my co-workers, but they are in terrible physical health. Sure, on the outside, they're all thinner than me, and I probably out-weigh most of them by a 70+ pounds, but most (both men and women) can only lift about 30-40 lbs at best without struggling. They constantly complain about being tired, most of them smoke, they eat fast food almost every day, they can't stand for more than two hours without looking like they're in some kind of pain. Seriously, I'm probably gonna outlive these little punks, and I have a rare autoimmune disease.

Health is really an overall package. You need to eat a wide variety of non-processed foods, exercise or do some physical activity (like housework) for at least a half-hour straight. And drink some damned water. Seriously.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

America is two-thirds fat. 35% of Americans are obese and another 35% are overweight. I imagine most Americans "should strength train", I don't know why single out women in particular.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

America is two-thirds fat. 35% of Americans are obese and another 35% are overweight. I imagine most Americans "should strength train", I don't know why single out women in particular.

I really hope they don't. The gym gets packed enough right after new year, I'd really rather not have it like that all year long.

Yes, that makes me sound like a selfish asshole, but god damn it my gym only has one power rack!

 

[Erttheking]

I'm a dude, but I should really just work out in general. Thank the gods I have a fast metabolism, otherwise I'd be fucked. I keep starting routines and then abandon them like a week or two into it.

This is me, right down to the letter. The only thing I can say in general that I've been doing right is eating fruit more often and seriously cutting back on soda.

 

[Yopaz]

Well, shouldn't everyone? Regardless of sex, gender, nationality, weight or risk of "life style diseases"?

What we know will happen to EVERYONE is that muscle mass will decline as we age, we know that getting up the stairs will eventually prove a bigger challenge than when we was younger. Back pains will strikes us relatively early, sleep will get harder, metabolism will decrease. There's no stopping it, but we can slow it down.

 

[chinangel]

I'm a transsexual and my doctor warned that trying to lose any weight whilst on hormones is a path doomed to failure, combine that iwth the fact that I don't want to turn into some sort of disgusting she hulk; no, I don't think I will be doing any strength training.

 

[Eamar]

I'm a woman and strength training is far and away my favourite form of exercise. I've always valued strength and fitness over pure "skinniness" so it just makes sense for me.

It's frustrating to see the old myths about "women will turn into She-Hulk if they lift weights" popping up here though. Sure, you can become very muscular if that's what you're going for, but you're not going to get that way by accident, trust me.

 

[an annoyed writer]

I'm a transsexual and my doctor warned that trying to lose any weight whilst on hormones is a path doomed to failure, combine that iwth the fact that I don't want to turn into some sort of disgusting she hulk; no, I don't think I will be doing any strength training.

Same here. Strength training leads to higher androgens and testosterone levels, which is pretty much our antitheses and the opposite of what we want. Being fit and healthy is good, but going overboard means that it becomes a war on two fronts for us. Even cisgendered women experience this, as noted above.

 

[HardkorSB]

Part of the reason women don't want to do that is the culture where muscles are automatically associated with being "manly".
I heard people at work talking about women at the gym the other day. This one girl apparently had a pretty face and a great looking body but she had developed muscles so they compared her to a transvestite. It's this kind of thing that needs to change because the majority of people are very impressionable and will follow the herd no matter where it goes.

I fail to see how a girls like these can be considered manly (maybe if the guy is insecure and afraid of not having the physical advantage over the girl):

Spoiler

Spoiler

Then again, women with muscles are my favorive kind of women.

Another reason is that most people, men and women alike, are lazy.
They either want results instantly (which is impossible) or they get in shape and then they go back to their lazy lifestyles and cry about the "yoyo effect" or whatever it's called.

I just wish more women were like this:

Spoiler

It would make me very happy

Captcha: do more sit-ups
Yes, please do.

 

[DanielBrown]

Not a woman, but I definetly agree. I begun working out about half a year ago. During that time I've done lots of research into what to eat and how to work out and I constantly learn new things. At the moment I'm dropping +-0.5kg/week from working out 30 min-an hour most of the days. I'm also gaining a lot of muscle however so it's hard to translate it to fat loss. It's addictive in a good way and I feel better than ever - especially when looking into the mirror. Before I started, I shit you not, my pulse went through the roof just from turning over in bed.

As some have already said in this thread; I also think a lot of women are afraid of getting huge muscles, which is probably the reason they avoid muscle building excersises. Pretty sure the only way women can get balloonsized muscles is through steroids, just like pretty much all ballonsized men out there.
So yeah, apart from the obvious health benefits you also look way better from working out. Just keep adding weights and quit fooling around with those silly 1kg dumbbells.

Spoiler: Skinny vs Fit pic, possibly NSFW

That's not me btw

 

[Chemical Alia]

I really like weight training. I recently stopped using a personal trainer that I had for the past two years, though. I've had two semi-failed surgeries on my wrist, one to fix scapholunate instability and a scapholunate ligament reconstruction. I also have a lunotriquetral ligament tear that every doctor in the past ten years somehow managed to not notice, which is now pretty much un-treatable due to the type of surgery used to fix the ligament on the other side. I thought maybe having a professional come up with a fitness program for me with my issues would be a good idea, but now I think I have slowly been making it worse the whole time.

I could just focus on legs, but I put on muscle tone way too easily and I'm getting tired of trying on cute pants only to not be able to get my calves through them. Muscle is apparently not permitted in the world of fashion.

So yeah, I'm not really sure what I can or should be doing, so I kinda stopped doing everything but some cardio exercising. If any of the gyms around here offered a tai chi class, I'd be all up on that, though.

 

[Riot3000]

I am all for healthy weight but their are so many ways to go about it. Strength training is one venue but so is pure cardio, mixture and simple diet watching. I know people folks get off their "lazy asses" "no excuse" and get fit moments for no nonsense internet points but that is just pretentious.

Like some of the poster have mentioned strength training is out of the question or they want a healthy weight and strength training is optional.

 

[Vicarious Reality]

I was lifting my new 6Kg kettlebell when i came to this thread
I despise lazy people, i almost died from sitting on my ass all day playing videogames and drinking sugar & ethanol
You know things have gone too far when you wake up and can not feel your arm

As a man i find skinny and fat women equally unappealing

Spoiler: Motivate