Women: If you want to lose weight and get lean, swap cardio for weight lifting

Who knows where it came from, but there’s a massive misconception among us ladies that if you lift weights, you’ll get big and bulky.

Women: If you want to lose weight and get lean, swap cardio for weight lifting

Fact is, resistance training is one of the better thing women can do to get leaner, more toned and (no surprise) a whole lot stronger. If you don’t have weights in your training regime you should, and here’s why.

“If you are time poor then a combination of weightlifting and cardio will give you the best results in a short period of time,” says CrossFit coach and functional movement therapist Georgia Hardy-Hesson.

“Cardio alone will not build lean muscle mass — that’s where weightlifting is the hero,” she adds. “Increased muscle mass boosts your base metabolic rate, which then allows your body to burn calories faster.”

Not sold yet? Luckily the long list of benefits don’t end there. It’s proven weightlifting can give you more energy, better sleep and aid weight loss. (Yes, you heard correctly!) Weight training is actually proven to help you trim down!

If weightlifting’s got the aesthetics sorted — count us in! But is it really helping what’s on the inside? What about our muscles, joints and overall inner health?

Lifting weights with proper form can naturally increase your flexibility. When paired regularly with aerobic exercise, it’ll also significantly decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, not to mention the benefits it has for your bone health in improving your bone density.

The very best part is you don’t have to go it alone. Our resident coach suggests finding a group fitness class with weight resistance training. It’ll provide the perfect place to start in a supportive, fun environment. If the team vibes aren’t for you, there are things you can slip into your existing training, or even try out at home.

You’ll get the most bang for your buck with compound exercises – where you’re using multiple muscle groups at the same time.

“Nail the basics first, this means learning how to move your own body weight with good form before adding load,” Hardy-Hesson adds.

So, what are the trainer’s tips? Combine squats, push-ups, lunges, pullups (even with a resistance band to start with) dips and single leg deadlifts for a great all over workout.

“From there, intensity can be added for greater results by adding load,” Hardy-Hesson says. Think barbell back squats , bench press, or weighted pull ups.

If you’re already into all that and are living out all the benefits, you know there’s no limit to weight training. When the squats get too easy (never!) you up the repetitions or the weight. You’ll only need to spend five minutes trawling Instagram to see the great lengths amazing female athletes are going to. And take it from someone just starting out, the journey is infectious.

By Brittney Kleyn

The Arena District Athletic Club is more than just a gym, it’s a premier fitness facility located in the heart of the Arena District in downtown Columbus. We provide convenience and quality, featuring top-of-the-line equipment, top-notch personal trainers, spa-like locker rooms and a wide variety of free group fitness classes daily including Cardio, Spinning, Barre Fusion, Yoga, Boot Camp and more. We offer free 2-hour parking and convenient contract-free memberships, to fit your healthy lifestyle needs. Don’t just join, belong