Just a few years back, if you stopped 10 strangers on the street and asked them whether Women should lift weights, probably 8 out of 10 would have said no. And they would have listed all sorts of reasons as to why strength training isn’t fit for females – it will make them more manly, more bulky, it’s not good for their smaller frames, and more. 

Thankfully over the years, this giant misconception has changed, and now more and more women go into the gym and work on lifting weights and getting stronger. However, if you’re still on the fence about lifting and strength training, then this article is just for you. 

In it, we’re going to talk about the benefits of olympic weightlifting for women – what they are, why you should consider the sport, and how it can help you feel better about yourself as a whole.

Why Should Women Lift? 

Besides the obvious benefits like feeling better about yourself, gaining confidence, looking better, and so on, we’re also going to talk about the physical bonuses of strength training for women and why it’s actually beneficial for their bodies to work out with heavy-weight and compound movements.

Helps Make the Joints Stronger 

Most Strength Training Exercises are lower-impact, and they can help you build muscle while putting less stress on the joints and allowing them to get stronger over time. Additionally, many exercises, such as the squat and the lunge, mimic functional movement patterns and enable you to not only work on getting stronger but also on building the needed joint endurance to be able to cope with more intense forms of exercise.

Along with that, lifting weights has been proven to slow bone density loss, and it can even help build stronger bones. That’s something particularly beneficial for women, as with age and thanks to osteoporosis, their bone density decreases more rapidly compared to men, and they can become more injury-prone. 

Body Composition 

Exercises such as the clean and jerk and the snatch make your whole body work. They’re not isolated movements that target only one particular muscle group or only one part of your body. Instead, they require you to use the strength of your legs, back, arms, and core in order to perform the lift correctly. The more you train with exercises that challenge multiple parts of your body, the more calories you will burn, and your body will develop muscles equally in all areas, giving you a more athletic look. 

Better Coordination 

Unlike the movements you do on gym machines or even in typical strength training exercises, olympic lifts require precise coordination, timing, and rhythm in order to be done correctly. In fact, learning the proper movement and having the right technique is what’s most important when it comes to doing the snatch or the clean and jerk. Of course, over time, as these movements get repeated, the awareness and coordination of the body improve, and you start to find it easier to learn new exercises. 

Do Women Require Specific Weightlifting Equipment? 

In general, weight lifting requires a few accessories, especially if you’re serious about it and you’re lifting more than once or twice per week. With that said, there aren’t many big differences between what the men and the women need in terms of equipment. The basics are usually a good, high-quality lifting belt, straps, proper gym clothing, chalk, and of course, weightlifting shoes.

Now, there aren’t massive differences between most of the equipment required – except for size, but when it comes to the shoes, it’s better to look for ones specifically made for women. Truly great weightlifting trainers aren’t just the same as the men’s but in smaller sizes. Instead, they’re made to fit the autonomy of a female’s foot and are designed to bring more comfort and stability.

As most athletes, both professionals and enthusiasts will tell you, the one investment you should never make compromises with is the shoes – they’re crucial for not only improving performance but also for staying injury-free.

In Conclusion

Olympic weightlifting is a terrific sport for everyone, not just men or just women. It can help make us stronger, faster, more coordinated, and more athletic. Along with that, it’s also a lot of fun, and it has a true sense of community among the athletes. Hopefully, this article will help convince women that they shouldn’t be afraid of lifting weights and that the benefits of doing so far outweigh the cons. And for this to be even more convincing, we’d love to hear from our female lifters in the comment section – what inspired you to start your lifting journey, and what would you say are the biggest positives you’ve gotten from the sport? We’re more than excited to learn.

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