Weight training for women is not just for bodybuilders or gym junkies. Strength training is also for women in midlife, busy mums, professionals, business women and anyone ready to feel mentally and physically stronger. 

Note: I’m writing from my own lived experience here, but it’s important to acknowledge that I am not a fitness or health professional. Please seek professional support as needed and in line with your goals. I’ve also included some fitness related products I’ve purchased from Amazon down the bottom of the article, which may be helpful.

I’ve been weight training on and off for at least five years but have had easy access to a gym for the first time in my life in the last year and a half. Combined with journaling, the sauna for recovery, meditation and walking, weight training does more for me than build strong bones. Strength training is more than movement; it’s a way to build and maintain a solid connection with myself mentally, physically and spiritually. With every rep, you’re not just building muscle but rewriting old stories, calming your nervous system, and reconnecting with your inner strength. It’s healing in motion. And it’s powerful.

10 benefits of weight training for women*

*This isn’t the kind of list you’ll read at bodybuilding.com or elsewhere online. I’m focusing on the link between the mind-body connection rather than the standard benefits of weight training you’ll read elsewhere.

Weight training:

Provides an outlet to release emotions

Emotions like anger, sadness, and frustration need somewhere to go. When you can’t find the words, sometimes you need to feel the sensations and help your body release them through movement. I definitely train harder when I’m angry (funny, not funny).

Reinforces that failure is feedback rather than the end of the road

Being unable to hit that last rep or set is part of the process. Over time, you build your capacity and strength to do more.

Teaches you how to stay present

Take it from me: when you’re focusing on form and a movement, it’s tough to concentrate on anything else. I’ll often listen to a podcast in the gym but not retain any information because I’m focusing on the movement.

Promotes consistency

Most personal trainers will tell you it’s best to stick with the same program for 4-6 weeks. Your job is showing up, following the program, and getting good at the movements. Like anything you want to progress with, getting stronger depends on your ability to show up even when you’re not feeling it or when life happens. Just like journaling, meditation and so on.

Deepens your connection with your body

Over time, you learn how your body feels and when to push and hold back. You can’t always have the best session of your life. There’s a time for progressive overloading and other times when you must acknowledge you’ve had a bad sleep or a stressful week, and the best thing to do is honour what your body is telling you it needs.

Challenges the inner critic

Weight training has changed my relationship with my body (that is a long story, which is the unfortunate truth for many women). The goal isn’t to be skinny; it’s to get stronger. Gyms are also full of mirrors, so if you’re not a fan of looking at yourself in a full-length mirror (I certainly am not), the gym gives you plenty of practice to look at yourself and study how your body moves and what it does rather than focus solely on how it looks.

Helps you remember you’re capable of much more than you imagine

Give yourself three months of consistent strength training, and you’ll be amazed at your progress. When I first started in the gym, I couldn’t lift 15-kilogram dumbbells, but years later, I can do a decent number of reps with them, performing a dumbbell shoulder press movement. Small improvements over time add up, just like with everything in life.

Helps regulate your nervous system

You become better connected with your mind, body, and spirit when you consistently strength train. You also very quickly realise how vital breathing is at the right moments.

Helps with ageing

I am no health expert, but if you listen to Dr Stacy Sims’ work, especially her content relating to menopause, you’ll understand how necessary weight training is for women heading into perimenopause and menopause. Weight training offers several benefits, from strengthening our bones to helping regulate hormones and assisting with our mental health and well-being. The earlier you start in life, the better.

Becomes a mirror for your healing journey

Just like journaling, lifting highlights your patterns, progress and weaknesses in areas of your body that need to be worked on. Over time, you’ll start noticing the aspects of your life that impact getting to the gym and the other habits that make you feel good, like journaling, eating well, gentle movement and so on.

Getting started

I’m not a personal trainer, nutritionist or dietician. I’m speaking from personal experience. Weight training has been a game-changer for me, and I genuinely love it. If you’re just getting started in the gym, it’s well worth investing in a couple of sessions with a professional to show you how to use the equipment and put together a basic program for you. They’ll be able to assess your goals and tailor a program to you, which will help to prevent injury and ensure you’re doing exercises you enjoy. As for nutrition, ensure you eat enough to fuel your workouts, especially regarding protein.

If you’re not quite ready for the gym, buy some light dumbbells and a set of resistance bands and see how you go. YouTube has many beginner tutorials. It can also be a slippery slope in terms of influencers who are promoting products and when it comes to comparison and unrealistic standards. Remember: this is about you. Your body. Your journey. Your goals.

What I love most about the gym is it’s me against me. Journaling, sauna, meditation, walking, and weight training are essential parts of my lifestyle and help me retain my sanity, especially when life happens (you know what I mean).

Try out journaling to support healing

I want you to try journaling for yourself with my free 7-day Guided Journal Prompts for Self-Care trial. Learn more via this web page. This is a safe space to land if you’re done with putting yourself last. After the 7-day trial ends, you’ll pay AU$11 monthly. If you’re like the average woman I speak with, I bet you spend more on coffee in a typical week (or other vices) to try and calm your nerves.

Fitness products purchased from Amazon that may be helpful to get you started

• Protein powder, especially if you struggle to get enough protein throughout the day. Any brand that doesn’t upset your stomach will do, but I like Muscle Nation and Optimum Nutrition
• Resistance bands are great for all kinds of things. This brand is super durable (I find the cheaper brands snap quickly)

Note: I am an Amazon affiliate, which means I make a small commission if you purchase from this link.