How does it feel when you see a woman deadlift double her bodyweight, or squat 100kg? Doesn’t it make you want to give it a go, doesn’t it encourage you to start getting into lifting? Weightlifting is undoubtedly one of the best methods to improve your health, but very few can deadlift double their bodyweight in the beginning. Everyone starts with light weights and builds-up their strength.
However, before they even start to train, an array of doubts and fears crosses every woman’s mind. These doubts stop a lot of women dead in their tracks from even getting started! If this sounds like you, don’t worry – here are a few ways that will you on your lifting journey. Read on for Women & Weight Training: 5 Hacks to Get You into the Iron Game!
1. Social Media
In this era of digital learning and interaction, social media can help resolve a few of the doubts surrounding women and weight training. YouTube has a lot of beginners Q&A videos, answered by professionals. Facebook has pages that talk about lifting, once you post your questions there, they’ll be answered by real people who went through the same phase. Instagram has #womenliftingweights and #womentraining that will encourage and build-up your confidence to lift.
2. Talking to a Professional
To resolve any of your personal queries, one can always approach professionals. Trainers are the most qualified individuals to answer any weightlifting questions. You can get in touch with a trainer either via social media or at the gym with your doubts, and receive a reliable answer. They might even guide you at the beginning of your journey to correct your posture and create a workout plan.
3. Consult Your Doctor
Even though weightlifting is widely known to be beneficial to our health, it’s always advisable to consult your doctor before starting this kind of training. With the knowledge of your history and present health condition, they can provide you good advice in the context of your own personal health. They can also help eliminate any health concerns you might have related to training.
4. Start Small, Start Light
Don’t expect to enter the free weights area and start out with 10kg dumbbells straight out of the gate! Everyone starts with light weights, say for example a 1 or 2.5kg dumbbell. Getting a good feel of the weight as well as the correct posture is crucial,
Without this basic physical awareness you won’t get the most out of your time and energy invested into training and might cause yourself an injury, ie., damaging a specific muscle. If it helps, starting out with bodyweight training is an excellent way to begin to establish a mind-body-muscle connection. Check out a few videos on YouTube which has a lot beginners’ workouts and posture correction videos; they can definitely increase your knowledge and awareness.
5. Block Negativity
There are a lot of naysayers who might discourage the idea of women and weight training. This is mostly because they lack the knowledge related to weightlifting and its real-life benefits, as well as harbouring old, outmoded and stereotypical ideas. Also, as an individual, a woman might have negative thoughts about her actual lifting abilities. it’s best to block those thoughts. Any negative thought, comment or advice should be ignored. Lifting is for everyone; and no special talent is required to get into weightlifting as an stimulating, gratifying lifestyle hobby.
