Benefits of Lifting Weights for Women between the Ages of 25-40

Executive Summary
This white paper introduces the idea of lifting weights by discussing how it can improve health and who the role models are for women today. It discusses prior research on women’s health, then describes new findings from recent research that shows the benefits of lifting weights for women. It shows the benefits as relating to improved mood, increased confidence, and improved physical and mental health.
Introduction
The keys to having a healthy life are nutrition and exercise. A good diet such as the world-renowned Mediterranean Diet and sufficient levels of physical activity throughout the day can improve one’s health and outlook (Guntzviller, King, Jensen & Davis, 2017). This paper will focus on the exercise part of that equation and discuss the benefits that lifting weights can have for a select population—specifically for women who are between the ages of 25 and 40.
In the past, lifting weights has been seen as an exercise for men. The male role models were people like Arnold Schwarzenegger—a professional body-builder turned actor—or wrestlers like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. However, women have been coming to the foreground in more recent years and joining the ranks of men in wrestling, fighting, and training. Gina Carano and Ronda Rousey are both female former mixed-martial artists who have brought the idea of lifting weights for women into the mainstream. Gym culture is back and the question of whether lifting is good for women is one that many have. Because women tend to lack the same upper body muscle mass that men have, lifting weights has traditionally been perceived as a male activity. But women like Carano, Rousey and Leidy Solis, a double world weightlifting champion in the 81 kg category, have helped to change that perception. The question is: should other women in their age group follow their lead? What are the benefits?
Previous Approaches
Previous attempts to define a healthy lifestyle for women have focused on diet and psychosocial activities, such as being part of a peer group, developing a strong social support system, and focusing on mental health (Dressler, 1985). Exercise and physical activity has focused more on lower body movement—like walking or spinning (Clapp III, 2000). While these approaches are all important in their own ways, they do not cover all the options and opportunities that are now available to women and that are being promoted by professional female athletes in various fields. New findings from the field of sports have shown that there is plenty of evidence for why weightlifting is beneficial for women.
New Findings
Findings on the benefits of weightlifting for women actually go back some decades. Choy (1992) showed that there are psychological benefits for women who lift weights: lifting can help reduce women’s anxiety and depression. There is also anecdotal evidence that lifting helps women to reduce their symptoms during menstruation (Choy, 1992). However, “only 27% of women aged 18-24 reported some type of muscle-strengthening activity compared with 45% of men of the same age” (Lowery, 2019, p. 3).
As Lavallee and Mansfield (2013) have found, weightlifting can help women maintain the body composition and weight they had when they were younger; give them confidence and energy to maintain a profession; help them to maintain greater flexibility, strength, bone density, and overall health even into older age. Weightlifting is not just something that can only be performed by women between the ages of 25 and 40. Older women can engage in this form of exercise as well to help ensure that they are in top physical and mental health.
One of the barriers that women face when it comes to lifting weights is that they do not feel comfortable going to gyms to lift weights: to many it feels like a masculine zone and if they enter into it they feel like they are being sexualized by the other males in the gym (Lowery, 2019). This is a barrier that could be overcome with the development of all-female gyms or workout times for men and women so that women feel that they are in a safe space when they go to work out. Knowledge about lifting weights is another barrier (Lowery, 2019). Women need to be educated about how to lift safely, when a spotter is needed, and how to avoided lifting in such a way that they over-exert themselves or injure themselves.
The technical fundamentals of lifting weights can be found in the FITT formula: Frequency, Intensity, Time spent, and Type of exercise (Rogers & Fogoros, 2019). In other words, the benefits of lifting weights are determined by how often, how hard, how long, and what type of lifting one does. One also needs an understanding of how lifting affects the muscles. There are two types of muscle contractions—isometric and isotonic. Pushing against a wall is an isometric contraction. Lifting tends to be isotonic: curling with a dumbbell for instance consists of a muscle shortening and lengthening. Joint movements are also involved in lifting, and they are: flexion, extension, abduction and adduction. Flexion decreases the angle of the joint. Extension increases the angle at the same time weight is lowered. Abduction is a sideways movement in which a body part is moved away from the center of the body. Adduction is the opposite—the body part is moved towards the center of the body (Rogers & Fogoros, 2019).
Building strength through lifting can take a variety of methods. One can focus on increasing muscle size by repetition of lighter weights. Muscle endurance is another method, with repetitions in the range 15-20 times per set with a variable number of sets, though 3 is the most common (Rogers & Fogoros, 2019). Building muscle power is another option: here “loads as light as 30-60% 1RM with rests of 2-3 minutes between sets are recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine” (Rogers & Fogoros, 2019).
Many women have achieved accomplishments in the realm of international and national athletics. Women such as Leidy Solis have excelled as weight lifters, and women like Rousey and Carano have used weight lifting to help them get in shape for fighting competitions. As role models, these women can serve to inspire and motivate other women to view lifting weights as a positive and beneficial way to improve their health, confidence, self-esteem and endurance.
Being 25, even 40, is not a limitation for the practice of lifting weights; on the contrary, with proper guidance it is an excellent way to contribute to the preservation of health. Women can look to weight lifting not necessarily as an activity that they must pursue for the purposes of engaging in athletic competition. Rather, it can be for them simply a way to maintain their shape, their agility, and bone density as they age and face the various risks of aging.
Lifting weights also helps enhance the mood and the mental health of women (Lavallee & Mansfield, 2013). An athlete generally faces the world with greater enthusiasm and is more likely to have a better grasp on mental health than a person who does not physically exercise. The athlete’s self-esteem rises and self-confidence is increased through activities like lifting.
The right way to exercise is to follow the advice of professional trainers. Trainers suggest the following formula for women interested in lifting: “Training three times per week is a sweet spot for optimum progression for beginners, although twice per seven-day week will suit some people better. A usual recommendation for novices is to allow at least 48 hours between weight sessions to allow for recovery” (Rogers & Fogoros, 2019). To improve body composition and strengths, Rogers and Fogoros (2019) recommend a combination of the following exercises: squat, bench press, deadlift, arm curl, triceps pushdown, lat pulldown, seated cable row, crunch, overhead press, and leg press. Chin-ups, pull-ups, bent-over rows, cable crossover flyes, incline bicep curl, tricep dips, and calf raises. A trainer and spotter should be employed at all times that one is lifting so as to avoid dangerous accidents. By combining these exercises, an advantageous weightlifting routine for women between the ages of 25 and 40 can be implemented. It may be something like squats, arm curls and leg presses thrice per week, and then moving on to another combination—but the advice of a trainer should always be followed (Rogers & Fogoros, 2019). Table 1 shows how a schedule might look. Table 2 shows how a routine can become more advanced.
Table 1. Starting Off.
Exercise
Days of the Week
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Squats
1 set of 12 at 40lbs w/ 60 seconds rest
1 set of 12 at 40lbs w/ 60 seconds rest
1 set of 12 at 40lbs w/ 60 seconds rest
Leg
Press
Same
Same
Same
Arm
Curl
Same
Same
Same
Table 2. Advancing.
Exercise
Days of the Week
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Bench press
3 sets of 12 at 40lbs w/ 60 seconds rest
3 sets of 12 at 40lbs w/ 60 seconds rest
3 sets of 12 at 40lbs w/ 60 seconds rest
Deadlift
Same
Same
Same
Calf raises
Same
Same
Same
To supplement lifting, general health habits should be formed: sleeping 8 hours a day, eating a healthy diet (the Mediterranean Diet is one of the healthiest on the planet), and engaging in positive social interactions all help to support one’s health (Guntzviller et al., 2017) and to reinforce the positive effects of weightlifting. Medical check-ups should also be conducted before engaging in weight lifting. This is to prevent women from proceeding with activity that might cause them to exert themselves too much or that might complicate a health issue they have. Doctors can advise on the type of training that must be followed, and if a woman is unable to lift the doctor can recommend another sport or activity.
Conclusion
In the past, lifting weights was viewed as a male exercise. Today, it is viewed as something women can do, too. Lifting out can help women maintain their health as they age, both physical and mental. There are many role models for women interested in lifting. It is an exercise that has definitely become more accessible to women in recent years.
Image. Leidy Solis, double world weightlifting champion in the 81 kg category.
References
Choi, P. Y. (1992). The psychological benefits of physical exercise: Implications for women and the menstrual cycle. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 10(2), 111-115.
Clapp III, J. F. (2000). Exercise during pregnancy: a clinical update. Clinics in sports medicine, 19(2), 273-286.
Dressler, W. W. (1985). Extended family relationships, social support, and mental health in a southern black community. Journal of health and social behavior, 39-48.
Guntzviller, L. M., King, A. J., Jensen, J. D., & Davis, L. A. (2017). Self-efficacy, health literacy, and nutrition and exercise behaviors in a low-income, Hispanic population. Journal of immigrant and minority health, 19(2), 489-493.
Lavallee, M. E., & Mansfield, L. A. (2013). Weightlifting training gives lifelong benefits. ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal, 17(2), 34-36.
Lowery, K. (2019). Where Are The Ladies?: The Social and Cultural Reasons Why Women Still Shy Away From Weights in 2018 (Doctoral dissertation).
Rogers, P. & Fogoros, R. (2019). A Fundamental Guide to Weight Training. Retrieved from https://www.verywellfit.com/weight-training-fundamentals-a-concise-guide-3498525