You've seen those gym photos. You've seen those other women at the pool or the beach. They have muscles, they look smokin' and you want some of that. Well, good! Strength training is all kinds of great for you. But how to get started? Let's open the door for you with some tips.
You've probably gotten the message by now that lifting weights is not just for the guys. This exercise is for you, no matter what your fitness level. There is a beginning point for everyone. Here's everything I've learned from my first months doing strength training.
1. Use a program. This is a set of exercises you do regularly for a number of weeks, often 12 weeks. This gives you a plan for when you go to the gym so you know exactly what to do, instead of wandering around randomly selecting machines.
2. Do some research. There are so many books and programs and gurus out there -- how do you choose a program? Ask your athletic friends for recommendations. Check out fitness blogs. Read reviews. And beware of anyone who sounds like they're promising AMAZING! one-size-fits-all results. We all respond to strength training differently.
3. Find a trainer or coach. Trainers are expensive, it's true. So if you can, work with someone at least for your first session or two to make sure you're lifting correctly. They may also notice any alignment issues or potentially harmful habits you should be aware of.
4. Get your form down. This is super important, and the reason why it's helpful to work with a trainer (or other trusted expert) at least at the beginning. You need to make sure the position of your body is exaclty right before you start adding weight to prevent injury.
5. Have a goal, any goal. It could be as simple as "do this program three days a week for 12 weeks." Or it could be "firm up my butt" or "dead lift 200 pounds." It helps to work towards something.
6. Put on cardio on the back burner for a while. One big mistake I made when I started strength training is I kept running on my days off. It was too much and I exhausted myself. So if you're already doing cardio, take a break from it for the first week or two until your body adjusts to your new workouts. Then you can add it back in.
On the other hand, I think yoga is an excellent compliment to strength training. It helps you stretch your muscles and it's restorative in an active way.
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7. Forget about protein supplements and carb loading. As long as you're eating a healthy, well-balanced diet you do not need extra protein or carbs. You'll be hungry, so if you're watching your weight be careful about overcompensating your calories.
8. Machines are okay. I think free weights have the edge over machines, but machines are a great place to start because they help you isolate certain muscles. You'll get to know what it feels like to work your quads versus your hamstrings, for example. Just make sure you skip these five useless exercise machines.
9. If it hurts, stop. We're all built differently, and an exercise one person can do easily may be all kinds of wrong for you. So if something hurts or feels wrong (not just difficult, but "I'm going to bust something" wrong) stop. Swap it out for another exercise that works the same muscles.
For example, my last program had crunch-type exercises that my lower back hated. I swapped them out for some plank-style core exercises instead. Which reminds me.
10. Prepare for a little soreness. That's your body's way of telling you that you worked your muscles hard. A bit of burn when walking up the stairs, for example, is okay. Not being able to get out of bed is too much.
11. Do not obsess over your abs. There's no such thing as spot reduction, and some trainers say you can actually bulk up your abs with too many crunches. The good news is, you should be engaging your core for every kind of strength training exercise you do -- which means you'll tone your core no matter what.
12. Work to the point of failure. This is how you know you're working hard enough to get real results: Your last two reps should be so hard you almost can't do them -- or maybe you can only do them half-way. Push for two seconds as far into the position as you can, even if you don't do it all the way. If you can do 12 reps without a problem you're not lifting enough weight. Make your gym time count.
13. Know your gym etiquette. Don't drop weights on the floor noisily. Don't do split sets (where you bounce between two different machines/sets of equipment) during busy times at the gym. Wipe up anything you sweat on. Put equipment back where it belongs. Don't hoard equipment you're not using at the moment.
14. Be patient. Some women's muscles respond to training right away. But for the majority of us, it takes weeks, months even. So hang in there for the long haul. There shouldn't be an end point, anyway -- this is your new life, and it's just going to get better and better.
15. Reward yourself. Not with ice cream! After a hard workout take a moment to acknowledge your hard work. Notice how you feel and enjoy it. Tell yourself that you are strong and powerful.
You've got this -- now go out there and have some fun!
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