You’re a girl and you’ve heard of heavy lifting, but are you scared to try it?
IS CARDIO ALL IT’S CRACKED UP TO BE?
Oh man. This is a post I’m in love with and I’m only a sentence in, but that is because I am SO excited to share my journey thus far. HEAVY LIFTING. Yes that thing that turns puny men in to hulking giants is just as beneficial to women, but not in that she-hulk way most girls are leery of.
Heavy Lifting = Eating More Calories
That’s right girls. MORE CALORIES. Now how many hours a week do you engage in sweaty tiresome cardio to fight your insatiable urges to tantalize your taste buds with dreams of chocolate cake and pizza? What if I told you the average weight lifting diet has almost double the caloric requirements of that Zumba routine you’ve become fond of?
Not that there is anything wrong with the constant give and take of cardio. It’s genuinely good for your heart and lungs!! But, if you are like me you dread the thought of 45 mins of jumping around everyday just so you can gnaw on a carrot without feeling guilty.
Weight lifting.
Should I say it again? The science behind the lifestyle is solid. Trained muscle burns more resting calories then the lean muscle you acquire during cardio. And bonus, it makes your ass look FAB-U-LOUS. So how do you start?
THE PLAN
Heavy weights can be intimidating, especially at a gym surrounded in beefed up boys who can smell a newbie. But fear not! 90% of men who lift are excited to see a girl take Heavy Lifting seriously, but you need to enter the practice prepared to feel as confident as possible. Listen up, you and I are in the same “skinny fat” boat. I’m only a few weeks into my Heavy Lifting regimen, so let’s do this together!!
I’ve done all the research to get us both started. Unlike sourcing a simple cardio video you might find on Youtube, this could require a bit of finance so you need to decide how far you want to take it. There are also 100% free resources and I will list them both.
The Money Minded:
The fastest and most effective way to start is either a home weight machine, or a gym membership. I made life easy by downloading a free app titled, “Stronglifts 5×5“. Stronglifts gives you a day by day routine to follow that 
includes three exercises a day to engage in, it also provides you video references for each exercise! I know that sounds like nothing… but it is both difficult and effective. Heavy Lifting feels weird because it’s no longer about how long you work out or how many reps you do, it’s about how much weight and effort you put into each rep. Concentrate on your form and get it right while you slowly increase your weight. Take your time, it’s not a race .
The Frugal Gal:
So a gym membership or a free weight machine isn’t quite in the immediate budget? You too have effective options, girl!! Start simple. Every night commit to 20-50 push-ups or modified push-ups, 50 Squats and and 50 crunches. The entire routine will take you 15 minutes but it will begin to build your strength and get you ready for WHEN you are ready for the next tier. If you can swing it, look into purchasing some kettlebells or hand weights in larger sizes.
See the videos for inspiration:
(Kettlebell) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiC0zylTB0w
(Dumbbell) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y0jjV8McHA
So how do you find success and how long will it take?? These are questions I ask and answers I know all too well. Like anything, you have to be consistent. Research the things that inspire you. Fill your Instagram or Pinterest with images that encourage you to stick with it and DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED. DO NOT use your bathroom scale as a measure of success. In fact if it’s something you obsess over? Throw it out.
You will know you are succeeding by how your clothes fit, how you feel and what your measurements are. Truth be told 5 pounds of muscle is not the same as 5 pounds of fat.
Muscle is dense which means at the same weight it takes up much smaller space that’s why you could weigh 150 pounds and wear a size 12 or a size 4. Imagine that, a size 4 and a necessity to eat over 2,000 calories a day to feed your amazingly carved muscles.
Sound to good to be true? Well, it’s not. And that my friends is why I’m not convinced Cardio is all it’s cracked up to be. That is why I want to be more then skinny fat. That is why I believe in heavy lifting and why I encourage you to join me in my journey. I will update you if you promise to update me and we’ll do this together.
Let’s get it, baby.
-Gore Girl Out.
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