From 320 pounds to 137, how this woman’s transformation is about more than weight<\/a><\/p>\nFighting the myths<\/p>\n
There are many reasons why so few women lift weights. For starters it can feel intimidating.<\/p>\n
\u201cWalking into the free-weight area of a gym can feel overwhelming if you do not know where to start,\u201d Liebl says.<\/p>\n
And then there are the myths.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany women still carry old beliefs about weight training, such as the fear of becoming \u2018bulky\u2019 or the idea that cardio is the best way to stay lean and healthy,\u201d Liebl says.<\/p>\n
Liebl says she lost 60 pounds in six months after she began weightlifting with a trainer almost two decades ago \u2013 and she\u2019s not alone.<\/p>\n
In 2024, Texas-based author Melania Luisa Marte, who was three years post-partum, had gained 20 pounds and was experiencing back, chest and chronic muscle pain.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy usual routine of yoga and meditation was not cutting it like it used to,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
A doctor suggested Marte build muscle, and after taking a HIIT class, her strength training journey began. \u201cMy body felt mine again,\u201d Marte says.<\/p>\n
Today, she uses dumbbells and weight machines which have improved her posture, increased muscle mass, and healed her body dysmorphia.<\/p>\n
\u201cStrength training has helped me lose thirty pounds and balance my hormones while also\u00a0prioritizing my mental health. It has given me more stamina to run around with my now preschooler\u00a0and be present in my body, mind and spirit,\u201d Marte says.<\/p>\n
How to strength train<\/p>\n
The strength training world can be very intimidating, but Owoc explains that \u201cstrength training\u2026can be modified, so anyone, regardless of their fitness experience, limitations, or level, can weight train.\u201d<\/p>\n
A trainer can be helpful in crafting a fitness regime.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you have never lifted before, learning proper form and technique is really important,\u201d Liebl says. \u201cWorking with a qualified trainer, even for just a few sessions, can give you the skills and confidence you need to train safely and effectively.\u201d<\/p>\n
Owoc suggests that women start slow: \u201cFor beginners, strength train two to three days per week, then they can progress to three to four days per week, and depending on their goals, advance to four to five days per week.\u201d<\/p>\n
She suggests focusing on your core and explains that body weight exercises are equally as effective as dumbbells, resistance systems and weight machines.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce women understand that strength training is adaptable, effective, and one of the fastest ways to see positive changes in body composition, confidence, and overall health, they often wonder why they did not start sooner,\u201d Liebl says.<\/p>\n
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Strength training<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Growing up, my mother showed me that weightlifting is for women every week as she lifted weights in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":273949,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[49,48,84,136392,136390,18426,136391,1776],"class_list":{"0":"post-303854","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-liebl","12":"tag-menopausal-women","13":"tag-muscle-loss","14":"tag-strength-train","15":"tag-strength-training"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=303854"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303854\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/273949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=303854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=303854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=303854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}