Strength training. As women, why should we care about lifting weights?
Recently I asked my friend and mentor Jeremy Hill to help me shed some light on why strength training is important specifically for women and why we should be adding it into our training routines. I am excited to share this interview with you and I know you are going to get a lot of value.
HI JEREMY, THANKS FOR SHARING WITH US TODAY. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHY YOU BECAME A PERSONAL TRAINER?
Hi Emma, no problem at all. I have been a PT since 2010, a gym manager, campus manager and a tutor for NZIHF. I compete in Powerlifting, but have been known to do cardio on occasion – 2 Tough Mudders, various fun runs and sports.
I became a trainer for a few reasons – firstly, I knew I didn’t want an office job doing the 9-5 thing for 40 years like my parents did. I wanted to work with people, face to face, not staring at a screen, and I wanted it to be about something positive. I loved going to the gym and had a PT myself who one day suggested I do a course and work in the industry as well. I thought why not having just completed a useless BA at Victoria Uni that I wasn’t using. So I signed up for a course and never looked back.
I am a firm believer that all people should know or try to find out what they are capable of physically. Our physical health will aid in so many aspects of life from mental health, to physical health, to a sense of accomplishment and that satisfaction of I am doing something every day.
Jeremy upskilling local Personal Trainers and power lifting enthusiasts through a Strength Training workshop earlier this year.
WHY DO YOU THINK STRENGTH TRAINING IS IMPORTANT FOR WOMEN SPECIFICALLY?
Historically the gym has been the domain of men. This is changing and it’s great. Women are starting to fight back at the ideal woman image we have been force fed over decades of advertising. Heroin chicks of the 90s is no longer fashionable (thank goodness) and body positivity has made its mark on society. Women are now encouraged to do all the things they’ve been told not to do or to leave to men and this has lead to more and more women picking up the mantle of weight training.
Being strong is fun, rewarding and bloody empowering. Aside from that, the female body is less likely to hypertrophy (gain muscle) naturally which in the long term can be problematic. Males will get stronger because it’s in our genetic coding. So apart from the social aspect – changing perspectives of what women can and cannot (should and should not?) do – there are the health benefits.
Stronger bones and muscles, improved cardio vascular and respiratory systems, improved digestion and endocrine control – hormones (need I say more?). The pros of picking heavy things up far outweigh any imagined cons. No, you won’t get bulky – men struggle to do it, women need to take all kinds of extra-curricular supplements to really achieve serious muscle growth.
No woman I have ever trained has complained that she got too strong. Neither did they mind seeing some extra definition or tone about their person. It’s also a fantastic way to make friends and socialise – importantly, with people of a similar mind set as you.
WHAT DO YOU THINK SOME OF THE REASONS ARE THAT WOMEN DON’T STRENGTH TRAIN?
As alluded to above – there has been a social construct in the idea that gyms are for men. But this stereotype is now gone with gym memberships being firmly 50/50 ratio and a higher percentage of those hiring trainers being female. Even more and more females are entering the industry as trainers and coaches – which is only a good thing for the future of the industry.
There is also a a misunderstanding of what weight training is and the effect it will have on your body.
Another reason is lack of role models, but this is changing. Jump on social media and women in gyms are everywhere – sure there is a negative aspect to this, a lot of the content is almost blue in nature, but there are pages celebrating strong women of all shapes and sizes – focussing not on your supposed beauty to males and how you are seen, but instead on what you are capable of. Strength doesn’t mean the strongest, it means doing a bit better than you did last time.
Crossfit has done a lot for this – you may not wish to look like some of the top athletes (and without rampant steroid abuse, you won’t), but it has led to more women picking up barbells, kettlebells and testing their bodies in ways other than going for a run.
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON MISTAKES THAT YOU SEE BEGINNERS MAKE WHEN STARTING STRENGTH TRAINING?
Trying to do too much, trying to be like someone else and over complicating things. You need half a dozen foundation movements to being with. Focus on doing the basics right and change will come. As you learn more and improve at the foundations of movement you can get fancy. Also worrying too much about how many sets and reps need to be done – keep it simple!
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 5 TIPS TO HELP WOMEN GET STARTED STRENGTH TRAINING SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY?
Work with a trainer. This goes for anyone. Learn the right way, the first time. No negotiation on the importance of this.
Set goals and keep them to yourself. Have a long term scary goal, a mid term goal, a short term goal, and a daily goal. Tick them off one by one. You can’t lose 10kg without losing the first 100g. You can’t deadlift 100kg without first picking up an empty bar.
Find an environment you are comfortable in. If you don’t like the gym or the people, you won’t go. Same goes for your training mode. Hate HIIT? Don’t do it. Find something new.
Be your own motivation. External motivation does not work in the long term. Internal motivation does, and it comes from consistency and habits. Turn up, day in, day out and habit will make you motivated.
Keep a diary. Log your workouts, weights and keep track of other variables like mood, stress levels, what you ate and how long you slept.
HOW CAN PEOPLE FOLLOW YOU ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
You can find me on Facebook – Jeremy Hill Coaching or on Instagram – @jeremyhillcoaching