Strong Is The New Sexy

The trends are changing.  Actually I think they have changed a long time ago but it’s just now that the mainstream media is finally starting to catch on it. Gone are the days when the likes of Kate Moss and Victoria Beckham were most women’s idols of physique and general appearance. It’s all about curves. They just have to be in the right places. If you look at some women with amazing bodies like Jennifer Nicole Lee, Kelly Rowland and Nicole Scherzinger, do you really think they got fit by spending all their time on treadmill or reading a newspaper on a recumbent bike? Think again.

So why is it then, that when you come to your regular health club, you see all the girls in the cardio area working at low intensity, or barely moving at all – like walking on the treadmill while holding on?? Some are on the mats going through the motions with 1-2 kg dumbbells, or on the resistance machines, but you barely see any in the free weights area. I’m not talking about everyone here, but the general population. All I see is low-intensity cardio and some basic core exercises. Not enough weights and resistance training. Could it be that girls think that they don’t need to work that hard to get results? Is it the perception that lifting weights is a “man thing”? Or maybe they are still traumatised by the images of hardcore female bodybuilders from the 80s and think that they are going to turn out like that?

Personally I think it’s just the natural fear of the unknown. We usually choose things that are familiar to us and we are guided by habits. Also it may be a bit of  a “sheep factor”. What ever are the reasons for not taking advantage of free weights and high-intensity cardio, the bottom line is that this kind of training will increase your metabolism due to excess post-exercise calorie consumption (also called afterburn) and increased muscle tone over time. That means you can enjoy more food and you’re still burning a significant amount of calories while enjoying a relaxed evening at home! How great is that?

More and more women are realising it, and this trend is not going anywhere. If you don’t have enough experience with weight training, all it takes is a bit of learning at first, consistency with the programme, and the results will follow shortly. However, you have to take action first. If you need help to get you started, I have personal training or distance coaching programmes available to suit your goals and schedule. Feel free to get in touch!

Committed to your success,

Ru “The Sculptor” Wikmann