Decalogue for women to start strength training

Strength training is very beneficial to preserve and increase (in case you have lost it), bone and muscle mass. Flamingo Images (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

"Independence is happiness," said American writer Susan Brownell Anthony. Have you ever been offered help carrying your luggage or furniture? On my last trip, when I was about to load the suitcase over the overhead compartment of the airplane seat, a guy approached me very kindly and said: Shall I help you? I replied: Thank you, I can alone. Then I put the trolley in place and took a seat.

There's a big difference between doing what you "can" with your body or what you want. Strength is the mother of physical capabilities. In an environment where supposed beauty is measured in the pounds marked by a scale, strength training can be an act of rebellion. Prioritizing function over form would mean standing up to the industry of dissatisfaction. "If at 55 you can jump a 45-centimeter drawer, forget what it weighs; Think about what you are capable of," I repeat to the women I train.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the World Health Organization (WHO) contemplate in their recommendations that strength training should be done at least two or three times a week, with exercises that mobilize the main muscle groups (such as strides, squats, push or pull gestures). However, this suggestion is far from reality, as some research admits that women may train less. If you look, the weight rooms are occupied by men. Why does this happen? Bet on care, leave aside the cult. Much of the blame lies with the myths surrounding this type of exercise as necessary as it is unknown. In this decalogue you will find the reasons to start taking positions within the gym:

More information: The benefits of doing weights for the elderly: it is no longer enough to go for a walk

1. You will gain strength and muscle mass. Imagine you live on a fifth floor with no elevator, could you carry a scooter or buy it up to that height? Think about what you are capable of. Being stronger not only makes everyday life easier, but the reduction of this capacity, as reviewed (such as the one published by the European Journal of Sports Medicine) admits, is one of the greatest predictors of mortality in older adults.

Turning years and losing muscle mass is especially relevant, since hormonal changes related to menopause (the decrease in estrogen) significantly increase the risk of sarcopenia (a progressive, generalized skeletal muscle disorder that involves the accelerated loss of muscle mass and function that is associated with increased falls, functional impairment, frailty and mortality). Strength training, as research shows, is the vaccine to avoid all this.

2. It will be strong, not big. "I want a workout to tone, not look too bulky," is a phrase I've heard too many times. The terminology in English is bulky. This prejudice can lead to a worry that slows you down when training. He won't become the Hulk if he does a bench press or squats. Studies show that relative muscle size gains are quite similar (especially in the lower body) in both men and women after training when the intensity matches. But it takes time, effort and knowledge to achieve significant gains. Moreover, women are different physiologically (hormonally and anatomically). Genetics and context also play an important role.

Women typically have about two-thirds of the muscle mass of men, with a greater difference in the upper body (about half) than in the lower body (about three-quarters). They, in absolute terms, are usually stronger. The explanation is simple: by differences in the amount of muscle mass.

3. It will improve your body composition. The body is composed of different components: water, bone, fat and muscle mass. Strength training increases your lean muscle. The more you have, the faster your metabolism will work. Muscles are like a natural fat burner. Weight training will help raise your metabolism (consume more calories), which means a reduction in fat and improved body composition.

4. Prevents and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. It has been recommended as a promising strategy for coping with bone and muscle loss. To stimulate the osteogenic (bone-forming) effects and promote the accumulation of bone mass, bone tissues must be exposed to a mechanical load greater than that experienced during activities of daily living.

That said, on the different training programs it has been discovered that strength training is very beneficial to preserve and increase (in case of having lost it), bone and muscle mass.

5. Reduces the risk of injury, lumbar spine discomfort and arthritis. Strength training makes the connective tissue stronger and increases the stability of the joints, therefore, it would help prevent injuries.

6. Control of your body and mobility. Have you tried to carry your child off the ground and couldn't? Strength training involves an educational component: training through movement, gestures and achieving an anatomical adaptation will make you gain body awareness without realizing it. Knowing the technique of the exercises, learning to perform them well and then executing them intensely (with load) can help correct your posture and preserve your joint health.

7. There are no "women's" and "men's" exercises. Women can do the same actions and movements as a man. There should be no gender differences in gesture selection. You could have different preferences, but that would not imply that you are not able to perform the same exercises. Even if they want to sell you the opposite: there are no "girl exercises". You should train with free weight, with your own body weight and work with high intensities once the exercise technique is controlled.

8. Lower risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It can increase glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, regardless of changes in body fat or aerobic capacity, according to scientific studies.

9. Mood. "I trained and then the problems didn't seem so serious," one of my girls told me after a session. Research indicates that strength training improves sleep, quality of life, and mental health. Reviews such as the one published by the journalJAMA admit that it would be a complementary therapy for depressive symptoms.

10. Perception of one's own body image. A more positive body image is associated with better self-esteem, quality of life, physical and emotional well-being, social competence, self-care, lower rates of depression and anxiety. In this sense, strength training has been associated with significant improvements in several dimensions of body image, healthy conception of exercise, satisfaction and comfort with one's own body.

11. Autonomy and functionality. Being in shape is getting the years through and preserving your independence, that comes hand in hand with the increase in strength, as indicated by the meta-analysis published by Sports Medicine.

Conceive of each strength exercise (squats, lunges, pushes, or pulls) as a means to be able to carry out actions of everyday life: getting up from a chair, running, or climbing stairs. Lose the fear and stop the myth. There is space for you in the weight rooms. Strength training is empowerment, freedom and autonomy. Strength makes it possible for the years to pass, to go on a trip, to carry your suitcase and say: I can alone.

From theory to practice

1. Professional help. Internet exercises are just loose pieces of a puzzle. Go to a physical activity professional who assesses and prescribes a workout. What you see on social media is only one part of a whole. One piece of the puzzle never completes it.

2. Prepare to learn. Having selected the exercises, you need to learn how to perform them with the correct technique. You will get to know your body, while avoiding injury. First move well, then make it more intense, otherwise the house will start by the roof.

3. Enjoy and manage expectations. If the process is not enjoyed, the objectives are abandoned. Manage and seek real expectations. Avoid comparing yourself. Be wary of what promises quick results, with little effort and in a certain time. Training is like a vegetable garden: a seed is planted and its harvest does not occur the next day. It's the same with exercise.

4. Do it for yourself and make time. A well-designed workout doesn't have to take hours. More is not better. Excuses are the main enemies of results. If you would never let your mobile phone battery run out, you shouldn't let your health drain either. Reserve a sustainable space in your agenda for self-care. Train for you. Train for self-love.

The American College of Sports Medicine makes the following recommendations in its guidelines when carrying out strength training:

• Weights, machines or bands can be used.
• Perform 8 to 10 multi-joint exercises involving the main muscle groups.
• Perform 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions with good technique.
• Lift and lower weight in a controlled manner.
• The last repetition should be more difficult to complete.
• Perform the training 2-3 times a week.

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