Now that you have decided to take on strength training, which is also known as weightlifting, you are probably aware that using resistance is the basic idea.
This could include weights, bands, your body weight or a combination of two or three of the resistance equipment. These devices are designed to tear down your muscles so they can be rebuilt even stronger than before.
However, some steps should be taken to achieve your goals safely. Getting started involves learning how to avoid common mistakes.
Below are some guidelines on how to start weightlifting female:
Set Objectives for Yourself
Female weightlifting can assist you in achieving a variety of results; therefore, knowing your short-term and long-term goals before getting started is highly essential. For example, a short-term goal could be to achieve a better balance.
A long-term goal could be growing your buttocks or being able to more easily lift your carry-on bag into the overhead bin of the airplane.
When you are first starting, you can save yourself a world of hurt by investing time into learning proper technique.
Additionally, there are different methods of approaching weightlifting based on whether the goal is building additional muscle, getting stronger or toning up for a leaner, longer look.
Weightlifting can be used to build lean muscle and doing it in high-intensity intervals can be a fruitful type of cardiovascular training.
Recognize That There is a Wide Range of Possibilities
There is an ongoing rumor that lifting heavy weights will cause you to bulk up with big, bulging muscles. If that is your goal, great but the myth is just that, a myth.
It is vital that you disregard the stigma that heavyweights are frightening. When you are engaged in higher-intensity training, you can get lean, toned muscle when you use heavier weights to do lower reps.
Weightlifting should be challenging, and there are many intricacies involved. ‘High weight’ is relative and is a very individual thing.
However, as a beginning, there is no need to be doing 25 reps with a 15-pound dumbbell; you should experience muscle failure at 15 reps. Pushing for 25 reps could negatively affect your joint structures by wearing them down.
This is not an indication that the magic number is 15 reps. It is a personal thing, and it is entirely up to you whether you want to do between 4 and 6, 8 and 10 or 15 and 20 reps.
If you do fewer reps with a very heavy weight, you will ultimately grow bigger muscle. Doing 12 to 15 reps with a more moderate weight will eventually bring about a different muscle response.
Invest Time into Learning the Right Technique
At the start of your weightlifting journey, you can save yourself a ton of hurt by investing time into learning proper technique. This is a requirement that is designed to keep you safe at different stages of the journey.
For instance, you may not have noticed before engaging in weightlifting activities that there is a distinction between pulling and pushing in your workouts and the two actions work the muscles in different ways.
In so doing, the same movement can provide two different workouts. It is important to note that not all exercises are intended to enable both types of execution.
When doing a chest press, you should not push and pull. Do not pull on your way back down with the weights. Instead, you should add resistance to the weight as it is slowly let back down to the starting position.
To prevent injuries, it is a great idea to invest in a trainer who can teach you necessary executions. It is a wise investment, even if it is only for the first three strength-training sessions.
Learn How to Breathe Properly
Experts have found that as it relates to breathing, weightlifting has its own special rules. Even individuals who practice yoga must be retrained to maximize the positive effects of weightlifting. In weightlifting, the exhale should take place when the energy is expended.
Revisiting what was learned regarding proper technique, if you are executing a pull exercise, such as when you are raising your forearm for a bicep curl, you should be exhaling at that point.
In contrast, when executing a push exercise such as a push-up, when your arms are extended to push your body away from the floor that is when you should be exhaling.
Learn the Significance of Warming Up and Stretching
Warming up and stretching is another essential aspect of weightlifting. It is important to start each session with a warm-up and then transition into some form of dynamic movement such as kicking from left to right, while in a standing position.
After this, you can execute your strength training regimen and finish out the session with stretching.
In particular, warming up is highly essential. An excellent warm-up session should typically last between 10 and 20 minutes and should include a simple walk or run.
At the end of the workout, stretching is tremendously essential as major muscle soreness will result if this step is skipped.
Extreme soreness after a workout usually results from an accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles. Stretching breaks down lactic acid and assists in getting it out of your system.
As such, you will be ready to tackle the next workout session without the extra discomfort of pushing through the needless pain.
You also have the option of making your stretches do double duty as a part of your warm up. Weightlifting is tightening things up; therefore, in the end, you should get back to neutral by loosening things back up.
Stick It Out
When setting long-term goals for your life, it is essential to remember that weightlifting is not a sprint, it is more of a marathon. Some individuals go into weightlifting expecting immediate results; however, that is not practical.
You should not become discouraged if the results you envisioned is not forthcoming after a few weeks of starting weightlifting. It could take between 6 and eight weeks or even 10 and 12 week to see the start of some of the results you expect.
Start With Joint-stabilization Exercises
Strengthening the muscles surrounding your joints is essential before attempting to build up other muscle groups in your body. Your joints are placed under pressure when the rest of your muscles are used to push and pull your body on an everyday basis.
Therefore, if those other muscles are going to be used a little more intensely during weightlifting, it stands to reason that the muscles designed to stabilize the joints should also be stronger. This step results in fewer injuries, a better range of motion and stronger muscles.
The ‘Farmer’s Carry’ is an excellent joint-stabilizing exercise. It involves holding heavy weights by your sides and walking with one foot in front of the other. Each part of the body that is targeted with weightlifting can have a stabilizing exercise that goes with it.
Don’t Make Full-Body Workouts Wrong
Isolating muscle groups and working on them on particular days is okay if you can invest the time to do that. Weightlifting breaks down the body and rebuilds stronger.
When a specific muscle group is worked on a particular day, the amount of recovery time can be increased for that muscle group between sessions; this maximizes rebuilding.
However, it is not wrong to engage in full-body workouts. In the initial stages of weightlifting, it is unlikely that full-body workouts will be overly intense.
Therefore, less recovery time will be required. It is a great idea to get into a routine of weightlifting three times a week, taking two days off entirely and engaging in cardio on the other off days.
Basic Routines to Get You Started
Moves that incorporate weights and body weight exercises should be included in every basic weightlifting routine. Shoulder presses, chest presses and triceps and biceps moves such as rows and curls could be incorporated in the method.
Included among the most basic bodyweight moves are crunches, sit-ups, squats, leg lifts, pull-ups, push-ups, and walking lunges.
Your sole focus should not be on weightlifting. If the same workout is done repeatedly, your body will plateau. As such, cross-training is essential as it tricks the body. Plateau results from the muscles adapting to a particular kind of workout and eventually experiencing less stress when the same exercises are done.
Making small changes to your exercise regimen can get you over the hump of a plateau. It is recommended that every 4 to 6 weeks you switch up your routine.
However, a complete overhaul might not be necessary if different types of cardiovascular exercises are incorporated into your weightlifting sessions.
Furthermore, adding cross training into your routine early on will make it less likely that you will become bored. This will further assist in sustaining an overall active and healthy.
Beat the Intimidation Issue
Initially, many people find weightlifting to be quite intimidating. Typically, when some individuals think about weightlifting, they automatically envision men and women lifting heavyweights tremendously; however, this is not necessarily the case.
Weightlifting also incorporates body weight exercises, and there are different ways in which it can be done.
Additionally, intimidation could come from exercising in a new place and not necessarily knowing where things are located. This could cause you to feel out of place.
Working out at a gym is a type of social activity. If the environment is intimidating, this could be the wrong location for you. You should find that right spot to satisfy your needs.
It is similar to dating, so you should not necessarily register as a member of the first gym you scout. Get a feel for space and then make your decision.
Nutrition: Fuel Your Body for Optimal Results
The word ‘diet’ is dreadful for some individuals as it conjures up images of carrot stick buffets and an extensive list of forbidden items.
Shaking this negative association can be difficult; however, it is important to note that ‘diet’ is not a bad word. A diet is essentially all foods that are consumed by an individual.
The food you eat is a critical part of supporting your fitness goals. In most weight training guides, the nutrition section will attempt to promote a boilerplate nutrition plan. However, your body is metabolically and physiologically unique and should be treated as such.
What works well for someone else might be ineffective for you. Understanding the inner workings of your body and finding out about your dietary needs are vital concepts to bear in mind as your nutritional strategy is formed.
Important Calorie Information
In essence, calories are food energy used to fuel your body to undertake daily functions like regulating your heartbeat, breathing, and digestion.
The makeup of food largely determines the number of calories in it. Each food comprises a mixture of protein, fat, and carbohydrates, which are collectively called macronutrients.
To live, there is a minimum number of calories required by everyone. This number is referred to as the BMR or the basal metabolic rate, which can be influenced by an individual’s lean muscle mass.
The total number of calories used by your body daily is the calculation of your BMR and extra calories used while standing, walking, exercising, sleeping, laughing and driving.
Altogether, they are made up of the TEE (total energy expenditure) or your day-to-day caloric needs. The TEE of each is a bit different; therefore, a diet that works for a relative might not work for you. Typically, a man’s TEE is higher than a woman’s as the former has more muscle mass.
Macro-nutrients:
Protein, fat, and carbs make up the three macronutrients, and they are responsible for all the calories in food. They play different roles in the body, so it is essential to make a distinction.
Protein
This is a major component in building lean muscle and making over your body. However, increasing protein intake will not automatically bulge out the muscles. The protein comprises amino acids, which are building blocks for many bodily functions, including producing muscle protein.
Weightlifting causes damage and stress within muscle fibers and repair become necessary. This see-saw of catabolism (muscle breakdown) during workout and anabolism (repair) during rest assist you in becoming fitter and stronger over time.
The wide-ranging guideline for an active person’s protein intake is roughly one gram per pound of body weight. For example, if your weight is 150 pounds, you would aim to eat approximately 150 grams.
Since consuming that much protein in 2 or 3 meals is difficult, individuals tend to take supplements or spread it over numerous meals. There are four calories in each gram of protein.
Good Protein Sources
• Fish
• Lean meats
• Milk
• Eggs
• Quinoa
• Greek yogurt
• Beans
• Nuts
• Soy
• Also, in addition, good quality protein supplements are a reasonable choice. Check this link on Amazon.
Fat
Fat is the most neglected and misunderstood macronutrient. After being erroneously blamed for increased incidences of diseases like heart attacks in the 1980s, it was widely promoted that as little fat as possible should be consumed. This ushered in an era of low-fat and fat-free products.
However, fat should occupy its rightful position on your plate. This macronutrient is vital to sustaining optimal health, and your body needs it to function well.
EFAs or essential fatty acids such as omega-3s and omega-6 assist in cushioning vital organs, maintaining proper brain development and cognition, keeping you feeling fuller for longer and absorbing fat-soluble vitamins.
Trans fat is the only fat that should be avoided. The food industry adds trans fat to extend the shelf life of food. Any mention of hydrogenated oils on a food label indicates the food product has an ingredient you should not consume.
Furthermore, fat is not responsible for making you fat. The concept that ingested fat rapidly digs into your tissues has been discredited a long time ago.
Typically, weight gain is attributed to consuming too many calories, above what the body knows to manage. There are nine calories in each gram of fat.
Good Fat Sources
• Coconut oil
• Avocados
• Olive oil
• Nuts
• Grass-fed butter
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates also have an undeserved bad reputation. Although many individuals believe otherwise, carbs are not evil. This macronutrient constitutes all sugars, and this includes double compound sugars and single-molecule simple sugars.
When at least three sugar molecules are laced together, complex carbohydrates are formed in foods like oatmeal, potatoes and some veggies.
These complex carbs should make up the largest quantity of your carbohydrates. This is because they have a more extended period of digestion, which makes you feel fuller for a longer time.
Additionally, unlike simple sugars, they do not quickly elevate your blood sugar. Complex carbs also pack a lot of nutritional punch in its content of minerals, vitamins, and fiber.
Complex and simple carbs alike have a spot in your diet. However, sustained success in managing weight and blood sugar levels could depend on restricting your simple sugar intake. There are four calories in each gram of carbohydrates.
Good Carb Sources
• Oatmeal
• Low-fat milk
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Potatoes
• Berries
• Bananas
• Brown rice
• Yogurt
Will Going Low Carb Help Me to Lose Weight?
Going “low carb” is one of the favorite recommendations for weight loss. Among different individuals, there is a range for what accurately constitutes a low-carb diet. However, the general target ranges between consuming fewer than 50 to 150 grams a day.
Two slices of bread or approximately a cup of raisin bran cereal is a representative of 50 grams of carbs. That target can be reached in a single meal or even just a snack. To substitute for your carb-loving habits, you would have to include higher quantities of protein and good fats in your diet.
Some individuals advocate for consuming a low-carb diet to lose weight; however, this is not always ideal. At first, weight loss could come easily but continually eating low amounts of carbohydrates could ultimately have an adverse effect.
Low carb availability could disrupt the delicately balanced hormone system of a woman. This could result in chronic sleep deprivation, loss of bone density and other unwanted side effects.
Some women could experience irregular or stopped periods while on a low-carb diet. This is because the body perceives chronically low energy levels as stress and starvation. However, some women can flourish on a low-carb diet.
If you would like to try out low carbohydrates, carefully monitoring the response of your body is highly essential. Source 1, Source 2
Nutrition and Your Body Type
The proportion of the calories you receive from carbs, fats, and proteins is vital to the composition of your body. To get a personal and accurate macronutrient ratio, figuring out your body type is a good idea.
The body type of an individual is more than just his or her physique. It supplies vital information on the body response to macronutrients.
There are three categories into which body types are classified:
Ectomorph
Ectomorphs are typically lean and have smaller limbs and bone structures. They can endure higher quantities of carbohydrates and have a high metabolism.
They resemble: long-distance runners
Suggested macronutrients ratio: 20% fat, 30% protein, 50% carbohydrates
Endomorph
This body type is built to be more powerful and larger. Individuals in this category typically have bigger bone structures. Their size enables them to do better on a lower carbohydrate and a higher fat intake.
They resemble: powerlifters
Suggested macronutrients ratio: 40% fat, 35% protein, 25% carbohydrates
Mesomorph
Mesomorphs typical unite the best of both worlds. They have balanced capabilities of gaining muscle and staying lean relatively easily. They look athletic and have medium-sized bone structure.
They resemble: gymnasts and bodybuilders
Suggested macronutrients ratio: 30% fat, 30% protein, 40% carbohydrates
People rarely fit perfectly in a single box and typically display diverse characteristics.
Portion Control
A favorite technique used for tracking calorie amounts and portion sizes is calorie counting and. This careful record-keeping of the daily consumption of food has its benefits. However, maintaining spreadsheets of your diet for the rest of your lives could become quite tedious.
As such, it should not be a life-long endeavor since it does not work effectively in the long term. Research has revealed that calorie counting tends to record inaccuracy by more than 25 percent, even after triple-checking sources and calculations.
The inconsistency arises from measurement mistakes with serving sizes, on food labels, varying food quality and measurements that cannot be consistently reproduced.
A more convenient method of tracking your eating habits is by identifying reasonable portion sizes. The majority of restaurants in specific regions serve heaping piles of food to appeal to the economic compass of individuals. Some people view more food as getting more value for their money.
Research has found that when enormous portion sizes are served, individuals will overrule their internal satiety systems and consume all the food, even after they “feel” full, without realizing they are doing it.
Be in Control of Portion Control
Eating until you are “full” is not usually the best indicator of your portion sizes. Experts recommend using your hands, which are the most personalized and convenient measurement tools at your disposal.
Your nutrient intake should be determined as follows:
• Your balled fist should be used to decide on your intake of veggies
• Your palm should be used to determine your intake of protein
• Your thumb should be used to determine your intake of fat
• Your cupped hand should be used to decide on your carb intake
Based on the assumption that you eat roughly four meals a day, the recommendation portion at each meal is highlighted below:
For Ectomorphs
• One palm of protein
• 2 cupped hands of carbs
• A ½ thumb of fat
• 1 balled fist of veggies
For Mesomorphs
• 1 palm of protein
• 1 cupped hand of carbs
• 1 thumb of fat
• 1 balled fist of veggies
For Endomorphs
• 1 palm of protein
• ½ cupped hand of carbs
• 2 thumbs of fat
• 1 balled fist of veggies
These general guidelines are practical since your hands are proportional to the size of your body. Exercise flexibility and adjust your portions based on the way you look and how you feel. For instance, if you have been gaining unwanted weight, reduce your fat to half a thumb and your carbs to half a cupped hand at each meal.
Frequency of Meals
Whether you wolf down all your food in a meal or two or eat many several small meals throughout the day, the frequency of your meals should revolve around what is comfortable for you and your schedule. As long as the right foods are consumed in the right portions, when you eat is just a matter of personal choice.
Weightlifting for females involves lots of hard work, dedication, and commitment to fuelling your body with the right nutrition for your particular body type.
Summary
If you want to take up weightlifting, the first thing you should do is to write out your goals. Maybe you want basic strength training so that you can develop good muscle tone. It is also possible that you want to lose weight or transform fat deposits into solid muscle mass.
The point here is that you should have an idea of your preferred destination before you start this journey. Once you have set out your goals, you can work towards these goals and achieve success at the end of the day. Below are some things you should do to succeed as a female bodybuilder.
Get a Trainer
One way to ensure that you get the most out of your strength-training program is to get a competent and experienced trainer. This expert will teach you necessary executions, lifting techniques and other essential things you need to know as a beginner.
Another advantage of having the right trainer is that you minimize injury and train safely. Also, your trainer will encourage you, motivate you and ensure that you achieve your goals.
Always Warm Up Before Each Session
One thing you should not ever do is start training without warming up. If you do this, the result might be aching muscles or even injuries. The right move is to warm up for about 10-15 minutes before each training session.
You can start with stretching exercises so that you prepare your bones and muscles for the workout proper.
Do not Over Exercise
You should resist the temptation to do too much too soon. Remember that effective weightlifting takes time and lots of effort. The right move is to take things easy during the initial stages of this program. You should think long term and try to achieve daily and weekly goals. This is the only way to go the full distance and attain your long-term goals.
Eat Well
You cannot succeed as a bodybuilder or weightlifter if you do not eat well. As you train, your body will require more nutrients so you should make it a point to eat healthy and nourishing foods. If you have any questions about the right diet, you should consult a dietitian or a qualified nutritionist to guide you.
Stick to the Program
There are times you want to give up the training program. Now, this is perfectly normal but you quitting is not an option. Stick to the program, and you will succeed at the end of the day.
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