Ladies, it’s time to put down the pink dumbbells from TK Maxx and consider powerlifting
Pink dumbbells from Lidl’s yearly fitness bundle and rejected Kettlebells from the bottom of a TK Maxx sale basket are not sufficient tools to get you fit and healthy.
Why? You know why, you’ll buy them and they will sit there in the corner of your bedroom, steadily gathering dust until they are sent off to the local St Vincent’s! But never mind the dust, these tools are simply too light!
“Too light? But doesn’t lifting heavy weights get you big and bulky? I don’t want to get big and bulky”.
You won’t. Unless you are accidentally injected yourself with vials of testosterone or eating more then the rest of your family put together, you won’t get big and bulky from lifting heavy weights. According to a 2004 study by Dr. Andrew Fry, “In general, females do not exhibit as great an absolute hypertrophic response when compared with males” (Fry, 2004). So there ya go, no massive shoulders for you.
Think back, how many years have you been training? What standard of results have your 4kg shoulder presses and 8kg squats got you so far? Not much, I’ll bet. As I said, they are simply too light.
Look at Rory Van Ulft, a 7 year old girl who deadlifts 80kg. A 7 year old. And yet you avoid the 32kg kettlebell in a gym class.
It could be a new TV game show, are you stronger than a 7 year old? The answer would unfortunately be a resounding no.
Rory Van Ulft
I dont highlight this to shame anyone, the majority of people reading this article will most likely be pursuing strength developments already. I merely highlight this comparison and contrast as you would be so shocked at the amount of females I meet on a regular basis who either don't understand the necessity of heavy weights on their bodies, or even believe that walking is a sufficient form of exercise. Yes, those people do still exist, I met one only last week!
Here are 5 reasons why you should consider dramatically increasing the weights you are lifting in the gym, and to keep the pink dumbbells as door stoppers and paper weights.
1. Your bones will thank you for it
Strength training and lifting heavy weights will decrease the chances of osteoporosis and poor bone health later in life. In recent years, a slew of studies have shown a direct positive correlation between heavy weight resistance training and bone health. And you might not consider the health of your bones today as your top priority, but when you consider that according to the HSE, “at least 4500 hip replacements are carried out each year in Ireland, usually on adults aged over 65, (and that) women are more likely to need a hip replacement than men”, you might change your mind. These statistics should be an encouragement for you to break away from the pink dumbbells, spinning classes and yoga, and actively pursue some serious strength developments with your new friend, the barbell.
2. Strength and Performance
Lifting heavy weights will get you strong. And I’ve never met a woman who doesn’t wish to be strong. Being stronger in general will improve not only your day to day life, but also all of the other fitness routes that you may choose to go down. To break that idea down, what I mean is, squatting heavy weights will improve your ability to hold poses in yoga, run faster and longer distances and become more explosive in your athletic performance if you are a field athlete. Regarding the notion of a return on investment, heavy weight lifting will give you more bang for your buck than any pink dumbbells, cardio, yoga or pilates ever could. For further information on the idea of getting the best return on investment via your training, have a look at my presentation entitled Mobility in the 21st Century and read about ‘‘The Hierarchical Lens of Physical Training’’ to understand why Weight Training/Resistance Training is truly the best form of physical training for the general population.
3. Muscle Mass and Fat Loss
Strong, well developed muscles burn calories. Simple, yeah? Well then it should come as no surprise that the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you will burn. And if you burn more calories… you will lose body fat. Am I starting to speak your language yet?
According to a recent research review by Brad Schoenfeld called The Mechanisms of Muscle Hypertrophy and their Applications to Resistance Training, “Intensity (i.e. load) has been shown to have a significant impact on muscle hypertrophy and is arguably the most important exercise variable for stimulating muscle growth (Schoenfeld, 2010).” So the key word there was load, and that means weight. So the heavier the weight, the more muscle growth, and the more muscle growth, the more body fat burnt off. Albeit aesthetic gains may not be the focus of powerlifting, they’re definitely a great bonus.
To further undermine the need of pink dumbbells and 2643 reps, Schonfield’s study also indicated that “the use of high repetitions has generally proven to be inferior to moderate and lower repetition ranges in eliciting increases in muscle hypertrophy.” So in layman’s terms, higher reps with a light weight is not as effective at building muscle mass as lower reps with a heavier weight.
It should be noted that women who use strictly high repetitions will develop an issue known as sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, the build-up of non-contractile fluid in muscle cells. Non-contractile? That basically means useless muscles. All show and no go muscles. Not exactly what you are aiming for, right ladies? Most women seem to prefer to build lean, dense muscle that are of actual use!
4. It’s a major confidence booster.
Few things will give you that “I can do anything” feeling quite like squatting, benching, or deadlifting a weight most people can’t count to, let alone lift. By focusing on micro goals, like lifting slightly more weight every week, you witness your training paying off and see firsthand what your body is capable of. Needless to say, focusing on adding weight to the bar is also often a welcome relief to obsessing over shedding weight on the scale, and brings with it a new sense of accomplishment and self-assuredness.
5. You’ll be eating for function.
Along with a new approach to training, switching to a powerlifting program brings with it a refreshing new relationship with food. One of the great things about powerlifting is that you’re eating for function, not starving for abs. That is not to say there aren’t nutritional requirements that still have to be met in order to see progress. But many new powerlifters find it nice to stop worrying about how every bite affects their physique, and start thinking of food as a fuel that, when used correctly, can power the body to new physical heights and limits.
With the above 5 points, ideally I have convinced you to reassess your training goals and weights. If not, you are welcome to your pink dumbbells and Fitbit step counter. I’m sure they will work for you just as well.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————Hello,
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