Ladies – I know we’re ALL scared of something – for Dorothy it was lions, tigers, and bears (oh my!).  While for many of us, when it comes to losing weight , we are scared of failure, not working out hard enough, doing the ‘wrong thing’ and looking like a man caused by lifting weights.  Well, ladies, its time to get rid of these fears – its time to take charge – today  I’m going to tell you why you no longer need to be afraid of lifting weights and why lifting weights for women is important (heavy ones too).

For too long I have been the lone female in my gym in the free weight section.  Most of the women in the gym are spending the hour they have to work out on the elliptical or treadmill – making sure to burn the exact amount of calories they consumed for the day.  Maybe one or two trickle upstairs and join me, but for the most part it’s me and the guys – lifting the weights – building muscle and burning fat.

It’s time now for YOU to start doing the same and spend time lifting weights.

In order to get rid of our fear of lifting weights, we must look at why we are scared of lifting weights.

Reason  #1 – You think that lifting weights will make you look like a man.

I agree -  I don’t want to look like a man either! Currently I’m in the gym lifting weights 5 days a week and I don’t look like a man.  This can no longer be your excuse because well, as a woman you do not have enough testosterone in your body to bulk up like a guy does. Our levels of testosterone are so low, that we will not bulk up and look like Arnold Schwarzenegger just because you are lifting weights a few times a week.

(Side Note – also, if you don’t like the look of lean women either who have muscles, lifting weights a few times week to burn fat won’t do this too you – it takes time and dedication to building muscle and the possibility of other substances.)

Also – lifting HEAVY weights will NOT make you look like a man either – for the same reason – we don’t have enough testosterone in our body to allow us, as women, to bulk up.

If anything – lifting weights, heavy or light – will help you burn more fat and help you become stronger. When you add muscle to your body, your body in turns burns more fat, therefore helping you reach your flat stomach goals faster. (You will even burn fat while you’re not working out!).  What’s even cooler – is you will see yourself getting stronger and honestly – what woman doesn’t want to be strong? I love it when I can go in the gym one week and lift a heavier weight than I did 3 weeks ago – it shows that you are working hard.

Reason #2 – You don’t know what to do and you don’t want to make a fool of yourself by doing the wrong thing.

Okay – stop right there. There are PLENTY of people in the gym who don’t know what they are doing and many of them are guys. There are people in there with poor posture, making up exercises and some who aren’t even working out because they’re talking.  So, there is no need to worry about not knowing what exercises to do and if you are doing them right or wrong.

Plus, most people aren’t actually watching you.  Yes, you get your random people who do quickly glance over at you, but for the most part everyone in the gym is there to get their workout in and get out.  They aren’t going to be staring at you and wondering what is she doing? Unless of course you start flapping your arms like crazy like I saw some guy the other day. But I know you won’t do that.

There are so many opportunities for you to find out and learn what exercises you can do with weights in the gym that you don’t need to be nervous. You can check out the exercises on my YouTube channel, you can read workout magazines to see what other women are doing, or you can search the internet.

If you are really nervous and don’t feel comfortable just going out on your own then set up a session with a trainer at your gym.  They’ll be more than happy to show you what exercises to do, show you how to do them properly, and to give you a routine to start off with. There are so many ways for you to find WHAT to do (plus I’m going to be sharing some more with you) that this is no longer an excuse.

Reason #3 – You’re scared you are going to hurt yourself.

This is a very understandable concern. However, like I mentioned above – ask someone, research the proper form and technique and if you’ve never lifted weights before, don’t start with the heaviest weight possible. Start off light and let yourself get stronger.

Also, lifting weights properly will help you prevent injuries- now and later in life.  Research has shown that lifting weights increases bone density, therefore decreasing the risk of osteoporosis in women.  They have also found that lifting weights helps to strengthen the connective tissue between your joints, making them stronger.  When the connective tissue becomes stronger, it adds support to your joints, preventing injury. Plus, we all know that when we exercise, we are lowering our levels or body fat, therefore lowering our cholesterol and risk of diabetes and heart disease.

So, are you still scared?  There is no need to be – I know you can do it and you know you can. There are no more excuses for you to not lose body fat and get stronger – lifting weights will only help you.

However, if you are still worried about lifting weights – leave a comment below or  email me – melissa@womensabworkout.com and let me know what is preventing you from adding weight lifting to your flat stomach workout routine and together we’ll make sure that you can start lifting weights and losing fat faster!