Strength Training Myths Women Over 40 Need To Stop Believing

I am coming at you with another blog and podcast about STRENGTH TRAINING. Yeah, can you tell that I am passionate about it and believe in it that much!” Strength training is one of the most underutilized ways to boost metabolism and has soooo many misconceptions about it! But what if I was to tell you that you could burn more calories than normal while at rest’ So much, so that when you did exercise, you would have a higher basal metabolic rate and you will naturally burn more calories! And the best way I know how to do this is strength training.

To get started, you actually have to pick up heavier weights. No, not the 3-5 pound weights my 99-year-old grandmother uses, but the ones heavier than 5 pounds. And stop right there girl, NO you are not going to get bulky by reaching for a heavier weight, that is a HUGE myth.

So what DOES Strength Training do you ask if not make you

Helps to boost your metabolism

• Helps you to get that lean sexy physique
• Helps alleviate stress, anxiety & depression
• Helps to build stronger bones – When you lift weights, the muscle pulls on the bone and the more it pulls on the bone, the stronger your body gets!
• Helps you to burn more calories at rest!
• You will burn calories up to 72 hours longer after you have lifted than you will on any piece of cardio equipment.

Now that we know what it all does, let me break down the myths about strength training and let you know what to really believe! And people, these are questions I get asked all the time, so listen up!

Myth number 1, Weightlifting will make you bulky

Unless your body is PUMPING with testosterone, you ARE NOT going to get bulky! It is physically impossible. Men put on more muscle because they have so much testosterone, women, not so much UNLESS you are taking something to increase your testosterone in your body.

Instead, weightlifting is going to accentuate your feminine form, so you develop long sexy muscles without it being an excess of fat that makes you look bulky.

In order to get the full benefits of lifting, you need to challenge your muscles. If you can perform 15 or more reps with the same amount of weight without the last few reps feeling challenging to lift up, then you need to up the weights. The goal is to break down those muscles so that they can build the muscle back up.

Myth number 2, If I stop lifting weights, the muscle will turn to fat

LADIES!!!! There is no biological process in your body that says when this happens do that. Especially when it comes to turning the muscle to fat. This. Does. Not. Happen! Yes, muscle shrinks when not being built, so when they shrink, they may not have that same visible look as when they are fully used, but they will never turn to fat. Trust me, they are still there

Don’t get me wrong though, as we age, yes! Absolutely we lose muscle, but it’s not turning into fat, it’s just flabby muscle. Undeveloped, muscle fibers are actually what you are seeing when this happens. But if we continue to lift in a regular fashion, you will be able to keep up the pace with nature. So, if you are lifting anywhere from 2-4 times a week, this would be awesome and would do wonders for your body!

Myth number 3, You’re likely to get hurt lifting weights

If you are physically active on a regular basis, yes, you are highly likely to pull something or strain something. Absolutely. But as we get older our balance starts to not be what it is used to and did you know that every 11 seconds an older person is treated in the ER for a fall and falls cause serious injury. Mainly because their balance isn’t what it used to be, but if you strength trained this will help with your balance tremendously.

When I first started training, I went to a seminar and the woman giving the seminar was 75 and it was all about balance. The #1 reason that takes people 80 and above out of the game falls. So now is the time to start building bulletproof balance, so you are not playing catch up in your 80s. I say this so we can start working on this balance and stability and that comes from core exercise! Not crunches, but single-leg exercises.

Can I stand solidly on one foot, can I feel my core engage, my glutes engage, the muscles in my leg’

Your real focus when thinking about falls and working on your balance is wanting to be able to pick yourself up after you fall.  So, you want to be strong enough to do this.

Myth number 4, YOU’LL LOOK LIKE A DUDE!

Omg, I will tell you again! We do not have testosterone in our bodies to do this!! But guess what, if If you did, you sure as hell would know!! So, what you will do is strength train so you are able to get up off the bathroom floor if you fall! Lift a gallon of milk out of your refrigerator. Lift yourself from a seating position without using a standing apparatus. These are all real-life things that I want to be able to do as I age, and I know strength training will help me with this.

Myth number 5, I need to do a ton of Cardio and lose the weight before I lift.

Yes, cardio is important, and I want you to have a healthy heart, but muscle is more metabolically active! Those calories that you want to burn are going to burn for LONGER when you strength train, vs cardio.

Think about it like this. Cardio is like a gas stove, you turn on the gas the flame goes right up. I turn off the gas, the flame goes away. Now strength training is like an electric stove. I turn it on, and I get that burner red hot. I turn it off and I can’t touch that burner because my hand will burn! That is strength training. It takes your body longer to  cool down. This will burn calories AND Fat for as much as 72 hours post-workout!

So that is why it is so important to strength train so that you can burn that fat and calories for longer. Keep things fresh and switch it up to keep it excited!! Try out different lower intensity workouts, higher intensity workouts, and mid-range workouts. And then join me on Instagram‘every Friday for a fat-burning Friday to add to your routine!

Listen, I know times can be challenging right now with money and trying to find weights! Strength training can get expensive if we are trying to do it from our own home, so you have to try and improvise! If you don’t have weights, try filling up old water jugs with sand or cat litter and lift those as your weights. And bodyweight is free! There are so many great exercises to do with your body weight and it’s, not all freaking burpees. But if you aren’t creative, it’s ok!! Hit me up and I can help you make a fast and furious home gym!!

Another option, if you do have time to get out of the house, try a gym like Planet Fitness to get your workouts in. They are inexpensive and you won’t have to buy or make any weights!

This is one thing within my Fit Girl Magic Society is that that one of my guiding principles is that every exercise I give has to have a HOME option! So, you can do it at home or in the gym because I know a lot of you have kids and you are home right now, so you may not be able to scoot out of the house. I got you, don’t worry!!

I hear excuses all of the time when it comes to working out and one of them is that It takes too long to get results.But that really all depends on what you are looking for!

Strength training is like cooking. When you follow the recipe, you are going to get the results you are looking for. So, when you feed your body plenty of protein, lift regularly, and gradually up the weights you lift, results will come. They won’t come Amazon Prime fast, but you will see them happen within a few weeks and that is if 80% of the time you are consistent with everything, diet, workout, etc.

Start light at 3-4 times a week, eat a balanced diet, and make the best food choices and the results will come. But remember, you have to do something consistently to see results.

Another excuse I don’t have time I know, I hear it all the time, I do not have time. Homeschooling, caring for elderly parents, commuting, something that takes up time.

But I am not asking for a 2-hour workout! My workouts are anywhere from 20-60 minutes. That is it, but you can see results working out just  20-30 minutes 3-4 times a week.

One way to get the workout in is to do 3-4 10-minute workouts throughout the day! Jump rope, kettlebell swings, push-ups, wall squat. Those little things add up over time. And put workouts in the calendar and make it like an appointment that you cannot break! You can do this! You have time and you can totally squeeze in 20-30 minutes a day 3-4 times a week! I know you can because you can do anything magic makers!

If you have any questions hit me up! I would love to help you get moving on this! Also in January, I will be starting a strength training challenge and you are hearing it here first!! So, join in with us in this challenge and not only have some accountability but work alongside women going through exactly what you are right now! Join the waitlist right here.

Strength training is what is really going to help to build out muscle, help us when we age to fight that aging process, and help us to look in the mirror and be like Heyyyy how you doing!”’ So grab those weights and get to lifting girl!!!

Hit me up on the socials if this podcast resonated with you or you not believe that strength training is the keyyyy!!

LINKS

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Podcast:\ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fit-girl-magic-healthy-living-for-women-over-40/id1476883661