Don't Fear the Barbell: Why Women Shy Away from Strength Training and the Reasons Why They Shouldn't

This morning an epiphany came to me as I sat down with my usual cup of coffee and reached for my usual health and fitness magazine. The title is not important, for I subscribe to many magazines claiming to cover wellness topics and they are nearly all the same. Just in skimming the cover, presumably to see what fitness tips I would find inside, I was bombarded with subversive messages about women and our bodies. "Shed 1 size in 2 Weeks!", "Stretch Your Way Slim", "Flat Abs Made Easy", "Look Trim and Toned in Just 1 Month!", "Tighten and Tone", etc.... (the list goes on in similar fashion). And it hit me: is this the reason I work out? It seems that every women's fitness magazine I read assumes that my biggest goal is to be bikini ready by next week's barbecue.

Slightly offended, I proceeded to flip through the pages, passing the "How to Be a Natural Beauty" section and the "Peel-Off Pounds" diet guide. Finally I found the fitness section. In keeping with the magazine's overall vibe, it was titled "Lose Weight and Feel Great!" and the first line of the article told me not to feel alarmed that swimsuit season was a month away because I would see results in 4 weeks. I thought to myself that this was very lucky for me. Wouldn't it be sad to go all summer, unable to wear a swimsuit because I had not done enough Pilate's? Thank God this magazine would save me from unsightly bumps and wobbly-bits.

Moving from slightly offended, to slightly irate, I turned the page to find the strength training portion of my customized bikini-bod workout. Initially thrilled and surprised that lifting would be incorporated, I was again disappointed when I read the fine print. The workout called for 3-10 pound dumbbells. I read books that weigh more than that. Consider this also; a lot of women who read these magazines are mothers. Mothers carry around their 6-10 pound infants all day long. Mothers lift their 10-30 pound toddlers in numerous repetition. So how effective would "lifting" 3 pound dumbbells be for most women? Are we working out for health and functionality or for looks? Is it true that we would run, stretch, and lift such minimal weights in order to look lean rather than get stronger and fitter?

It is the height of hypocrisy for these health/wellness/fitness magazines to center every workout around improving physical attractiveness. While this is an added bonus to being in good shape, the goal of any exercise should be to feel better, improve self confidence, and create a healthier lifestyle. These are goals worth sticking too!

I am also greatly disturbed by many women's contentions that lifting weights will cause them to "bulk up". Some magazines feed into this belief by suggesting strength training sessions with 3 pound dumbbells, so as to carve lean muscles. Why is strength training no longer about getting stronger? Why do women think that only lean bodies are attractive? I am a very firm believer that a) working out is NOT about getting sexier, and b) if you are going to go that route, however, STRONG IS SEXY!

I am not an expert. I do not have a degree in any sort of health and fitness field. But, I am a 2-sport college athlete who knows from experience. Unless a woman gets into the really, really high weights at very low repetition, she is not going to bulk up. I would like to see this fear of getting bigger disappear, because there are so many benefits to lifting weights. For one thing, it mega-boosts your metabolism, giving you an increased calorie burn for the next day and a half. This, as you can imagine, helps get rid of excess fat, especially around your midsection. Lifting weights is also a great way to increase power and explosiveness, giving those training for any sort of sport or performance an added advantage. But probably my favorite benefit of strength training is how it increases confidence. I love entering the weight room, usually filled with men, and showing that I can lift heavy weights, too. I love watching the mirror as I do my hang cleans or squats and seeing the definition in my limbs, proof that I am getting stronger. I love leaving the weight room and feeling my muscles twitch and tingle, a sure sign that they worked hard. And I LOVE the sense of independence that comes with being stronger. Yes, I can open my own pickle jars, I can help my roommate move her furniture in, I can carry all of my groceries up two flights of stairs in one trip. I can do it all.