Fun fact #1: strength training isn’t just for men!

Fun fact #2: lifting weights doesn’t mean you’ll end up with the physique of a body-builder!

More and more sisters are hitting the weights. Why? Because strength training is a great way for women to hit all sorts of fitness goals and feel fantastic about themselves, not just to get skinny and be blessed with a set of washboard abs. (as we are not about that, although it can take care of that as well…)

But starting out on your journey can be daunting. Am I lifting properly? What should I be lifting? Should I even be lifting at all? — all questions that newbies might ask themselves. No biggie — we’re here to take care of it.

We want to take the stigma out of weight training, so we’ve put together five tips to help any woman start squatting, lunging, deadlifting and everything in between. 

1. Know Your Goal

Park all that chat about squats for now — we’ll get back to it in a bit…

Before you even lay a finger on any sort of weight, you should know your end goal.

Why are you working out? is it to get your first chin up or push up, run your first marathon? Is it to burn fat? boost your confidence? Are you doing it to feel like a total badass?

However colourful (or not) your goal is, keep it in the back of your mind every time you work out. Oh, and know that no one’s judging! 

Don’t worry about it taking time, either. We like to think about it this way: you don’t go to uni and take your final exam during freshers week, right? Same goes for the gym! It’s all about PROGRESSION, not PERFECTION.

2. Lifestyle matters and now for our guide to deadli-- ok, we’re still not there yet… 

When you’re a beginner, it’s easy to underestimate how important your lifestyle is to successful strength training. Once again, before you even touch a barbell you need to have a realistic expectation of how much time can you put in.

If you’ve never set foot in a gym before, you might need a little more recovery — if you can barely walk up a flight of stairs the following day… do you really want to be working out again? And it’s completely fine if your answer is a big, overwhelming, all-caps “NO”. Don’t feel like you need to be working out every day in order to hit your goal!

But if you’re already pretty fit and you’re adding strength training to your routine then maybe you can handle four or five days a week or training.

Our mantra is: INVEST IN REST. Switch off after your workout, eat well (more on that in a bit!), get a good night’s sleep, take care of your body, and attacking your next gym sesh will become that much easier.

3. All the gear, no idea?

Not quite — thinking about what you’re wearing in the gym is SO important. We’re always surprised by how many women rock up to StrongHer wearing the same pair of running shoes they’ve worn on-and-off for the last few years. 

Did you know: you should change your trainers every six months to a year? You do now! 

No one really thinks about this. When it comes to beginner’s strength training, everything hinges (get it?) on your feet. You need a range of movement in your ankles, and it’s tricky to work out what that range of movement is without a pair of trainers that have a firm, solid base. 

BUT… if all you have is a pair of old running shoes, don’t let that stop you from starting a strength training programme.

4. Workouts

Ok… NOW we can talk about exercises! What exercises will help you reach your goals? What’s your plan of attack?

Well, if you’re a total strength training beginner, the best workout is a full-body workout. We work with women of all shapes, sizes, backgrounds and cultures, and have found that these few exercises are a great starting point:

• Squats

• Lunges

• Chest press

• Bent-over Row

• Glute bridges

• Deadlifts

Everything starts from here — once you’ve got these down, everything will get easier (we promise!)

If in doubt, just come to us and our warrior project, or if you’re working out on your own, just ask a PT! Ultimately, asking for help is a lot less painful than a back injury.

5. Nutrition

Is the final piece of the puzzle, and that puzzle all starts with water. Before you train, whatever time of day you’re training, you should be hydrated AF — get 2l of water in before you train and you’ll be ready to smash it.

Sounds like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? But you are, after all, about to lose a whole load of water during your workout… 

What about afterwards? It’s easy to think that you should be eating “all the chicken”, but it’s all about balance. A protein-rich (around 30g per serving), but balanced, meal is what you should be aiming for — mix it up with protein, carbs, and fats (but not trans fats) and you’ll be well on your way to recovery.

If you’re a beginner, we recommend tracking your meals. Make a note of what energy’s going in and what’s going out — if you still feel tired, maybe there’s something you need to change? If this all sounds confusing, don’t worry — we can help you with your nutrition at StrongHer.

Ready to smash those squats? Want to chat a bit more about taking your first steps into the world of strength training? Get in touch! No question’s a stupid question… 

StrongHer is a London-based fitness space where women warriors are made, both physically and mentally. We’re here to educate, enrich, and empower all women to take back control of their fitness in a safe, supportive, unintimidating environment. See how we can help you.