This Is Why We’re In LOVE With Strength Training

While strength training used to be associated with bulking and bodybuilding years ago, it’s now one of the most popular training styles in the Sweat app and has SO many benefits to offer women specifically.

Sure, carrying your groceries and luggage is going to get a whole lot easier, but alongside your muscle gains you can also expect to experience boosted energy, mood, confidence, endurance, bone health, posture, metabolic health, and a workout routine you’re in love with.

What do we mean by strength training? 

Strength training is a broad term that encompasses any workout that builds muscular strength and endurance. It’s that simple. Typically we think of weight lifting, but strength training can also look like bodyweight workouts, resistance band sessions, suspension training, Pilates, or even power yoga.

As Harvard Health explains, strength training is important for adults at every stage of life and should be part of your routine at least twice a week to reap the benefits.

The benefits of strength training for women

As much as it’s fun to see your muscles growing and feel your strength improving, there’s so much more to it than that. Strength training helps with:

• Improving your body composition

• Weight management

• Bone health

• Cognitive function

• Confidence

• Mood

• Mobility

• Reducing injury risk

• Reducing risk of disease

• Overall health and longevity

Improve your body composition and maintain a healthy weight

When paired with good nutrition, research has shown strength training can increase your lean muscle mass and reduce your fat mass. Having some body fat is essential for optimal health, especially for female hormonal health and fertility, but increasing your muscle mass is important for metabolic health.

Boost overall health, longevity and disease prevention

Over 30 years of research has shown that muscle-strengthening exercise can improve your cardiometabolic health, physical functioning and ability to perform daily movements, not to mention a 21% lower risk of all-cause mortality when compared to no exercise.

Another 2022 meta-analysis found strength training was associated with a 10–17% reduced risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer and diabetes.

The best news? You don’t need to spend hours on strength training to start reaping these benefits (unless you love it, which so many women do!). A 2018 study found lifting weights for less than an hour a week may reduce your risk for a heart attack or stroke by 40-70%.

Better bone health

As well as increased muscle strength, Harvard Health highlights how beneficial strength training can be for your bone health. It can help to build bone, slow the decline of bone density and reduce your risk of osteoporosis as you age - which women are more likely to be affected by.

The stress put on your bones during strength training essentially activates bone-forming cells, leading to stronger, denser bones.

It’s health benefits such as these that make trainer Katie Martin such a fan of strength training.

“I focus on goals such as ageing gracefully without illness, maintaining healthy muscles and minimising my risk of arthritis and osteoporosis,” she says.

Boost physical performance, posture, mobility and balance

This one is a bit of a no-brainer, but you can expect to see your overall athletic performance increase with a consistent strength training routine. Strength training not only builds muscular strength, power and endurance, but according to the American Cancer Society, it also helps to improve your balance, stability, posture, joint flexibility and mind-body connection.

Improve your mood, cognitive function and self-esteem

As much as we talk about the runner’s high, the strength training high is truly something else.

A 2018 meta-analysis found that strength training significantly reduced depressive symptoms in adults, regardless of their health status, differences in resistance training volumes, or any strength improvements.

Resistance training can also improve your cognitive abilities and self-esteem according to 2012 research.

Which Sweat strength training program is best for you?

If you’re ready to start your strength training journey but aren’t sure which Sweat program is right for you, here’s a breakdown of some of our most popular programs. Every workout is accompanied by step-by-step instructions and guided demonstrations, as well as visuals to indicate which muscles you should be working.

• Strength with Kayla: This is pure strength training in the gym - no jumping, no HIIT and not a single burpee. Each workout is structured with a focus on strength sets and supersets to make it easy to move between stations in the gym.

• Strength At Home with Kayla: This is the home version of Strength with Kayla, where you’ll be achieving progressive overload through increased reps and sets to fatigue your muscles, as well as heavier weights if you have them at home.

• OG Kayla: OG Kayla is the original high-intensity strength program that has helped so many women kickstart and level up their fitness journeys.

• Strength & Sculpt with Katie: This become a fan-favourite amongst the Sweat Community, with workouts that use a combination of free weights and gym machines to progressively increase your strength and muscle mass.

• The 3-2-1 Method with Katie: This program includes three strength workouts, two Pilates sessions and one cardio session per week - perfect if you want variety and balance.

• Ignite Strength with Britany: Brit is all about effective and efficient workouts in 30 minutes or less that don’t involve much equipment. Each week there is a lower, upper and full-body workout, alongside a core and mobility session.

• Lift with Laura: This program has a focus on progressive lifting and metabolic conditioning, as well as building your confidence and skill with Olympic lifting.

Start building strength today

Whether you’re a beginner or you want to take your training to the next level, strength training is an amazing way to boost your health and feel incredible.

The benefits of weightlifting for women go far beyond just stronger muscles - it’s a way to look after your heart health, balance, posture, cognitive function, overall physical performance, metabolic resting rate, bones and mental wellbeing.

We LOVE strength training, and we know you will, too.