Hey, if you're a fellow female personal trainer than can I get a hands up if you've ever been asked this question before? Yep, I thought so.
And if you're not a fitness coach and you're maybe one of my clients or just someone who's looking to dip their toes into the world of weights, have you ever thought or even avoided weight lifting on the fear it make you appear bigger? Yep, I thought that too.
I'm here to give you the truth, the myths and everything in between on weight training and what impact it has on your body when done right and wrong, because yes, there is such a thing of doing it wrong. This blog post covers everything listed in the below, so grab a cup of tea and a notepad and take notes:
Does lifting weights make you bulky?
The benefits of lifting weights and how muscle is built in our body
Why doing too much weight lifting can be bad for your body
A guide to a good weight lifting plan
Why protein is essential for your recovery
Truth or myth? The answer is here
As mentioned, I've heard it so many times and you may have even been one of those that have asked. Lifting weights doesn't make you bulky.
While lifting weights does help with muscle definition, it's actually excess body fat from your diet and fitness levels that could be making the body look bigger than what you want.
Some (of the many) benefits of lifting weights
Lifting weights is crucial to anyone who wants to achieve a toned and lean body shape.
There are so many benefits to reaching for the dumbbells to put all in one blog post I've listed a few of the core benefits below:
Healthier body fat levels: lifting weights helps boost your metabolism and helps burn energy such as fat even when you're not at the treadmill. Result!
Improved lifestyle choices: you'll read further in this blog post around nutrition information but hitting the weights and gym will help you make better choices around your diet. You'll be swapping chocolate bars for protein bars and cocktails for shakes in no time.
Reduces risk of injury: lifting weights will help strengthen your body resulting in reducing the risk of injuries. Opting for weightlifting as well also helps prevent your balance and lowers the risks of falls.
Good posture: if you've got muscle imbalances which are result of poor posture (tech neck, slouched shoulders and a hunch from over straining!) then lifting weights can help contribute to achieving a good or improved posture.
Confidence: not the the C word everyone is familiar with. Lifting weights can be daunting at first but over time you'll have a bank of exercises and workouts you'll be confident with and you'll be adding your weight pics to your Insta in no time. Confidence can also be a result in seeing differences in your body too.
Why to avoid over training
So you're smashing your workouts and your training everyday, sometimes twice at the gym. Stop it. This isn't a sustainable routine for your body, both physically and mentally. The only people who should have that sort of approach to fitness are those entering a bikini competition or athletes.
Hitting the gym too hard will result in your burning out. Your body will be burning too much energy in order to function as well as it can. I've listed below some the results from over training.
Weakened immune system - if your body is under a lot of stress from hitting the gym too hard then it's not got the energy to fight off viruses and infections as well as it can.
Muscle soreness - although you might be shouting to yourself 'no pain, no gain' muscle soreness that won't go away can be a serious sign that you're body is overtrained and tired. If you're looking to build muscle (and who isn't?!) you need to allow your muscles time to recover from exercise in order to grow.
Poor performance - you might have that quote from Pinterest saved 'a bad workout is better than no workout' as a screen saver but working out too much can actually result in poor workouts and therefore you will see no or very little results in your body from over training. If you have an app or book to note your workouts then you should be able to spot this.
injuries - if you feel like little niggles or pains are taking time to heal than that can be a result from your body being under stress.
Loss of motivation - if you're on a fitness journey or transformation then motivation is key. Unfortunately, as.female personal trainer, I can't prescribe everyone with a motivation drink. That has to come from you. Those who are hitting the gym more than they're hitting their bed then motivation can easily derail you.
A guide to a good training plan
Like most things in life, a good training plan isn't a one size fits all. Whether your looking for an online guide or a personal trainer to help you achieve your goals, then it should be a tailored plan to your body and goals.
Unfortunately, due to social media and that dangerous thing called Google, there are so many wild and unsustainable training plans with deceiving messages to con you into following a plan that could be dangerous to your health.
Put as much as thought into finding a training plan for you as you would choosing your next phone model. It's going to be something you will be following for the next few months you need to consider the below
Price: look at the price of training plans online or with a personal trainer. If their price seems too good to be true, then it probably is. A detailed training plan and routine will come at a higher cost but will get you your results based on your body type, lifestyle etc.
Workout samples and reviews: try and get samples of plans you can find online or look at a personal trainer's testimonials before committing to a lengthy plan. If you see a plan that is having you drinking slim teas and skipping meals while going to the gym for 2 hours a day every day then you better look elsewhere.
Unrealistic goals: Another warning sign you want to avoid is unrealistic before and after pictures in a really short period. There's a lot of bait with 'lose 20lbs in one week' online so make sure you're looking for realistic goals.
Wise up on your protein
Eating protein will help you maintain and build muscle mass. Make sure you wise up on your macronutrients and your personal trainer or training plan should give you a rough guide of macronutrients and your calorie intake on your training days and non-training days.
Protein after a workout can help with the recovery and muscle growth and helping prevent damage. So make sure you're opting for smart protein choices (don't be fooled by those marketing labels!) after your workout and in your meals.
I've got some useful blog posts here about results starting with your shopping trolley and how to use protein to stay fuller for longer
I hope I've shed some light on why lifting weights is great for your body and wellbeing, how to look out for a plan that will result in you over training, and how to spot signs that you're currently over training.
If you have any questions or tips and ticks then please feel free to send me a message @thecurvecoach or hit the link below!
Comments