Most women fear strength training, which is very unfortunate, because strength training is incredibly sexy! I’d say that the main reason why women avoid strength training is due to the biggest myth and misconceptions that lifting heavier weights will make you big and bulky. This is simply not the case, and as you can see, Jenn is proof that you can sculpt a lean and firm body by incorporating strength training into your workout program. My wife Angie is another prime example. Her arms are lean, tight, and have incredible shape to them.

What most women don’t realize is that strength training makes your muscles more dense, not bigger. It’s training in the rep ranges of 8-12 reps that is ideal for making your muscles bigger. So if you are currently lifting in the 8-12 range and not getting big and bulky, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to strength training. Plus there are many benefits for women to incorporate some heavy lifting into their workouts. Strength training has a great impact on your central nervous system, which for one, it increases your body’s ability to recruit more muscle fibers. It helps build strong bones. It’s empowering because your increased strength carries over into all of your every day tasks such as picking up the kids, carrying groceries, working in the garden, opening a jar of pickles, and just about anything that you can think of. As you age you will maintain your independence if you have improved your strength over the years.

Now lets take a look at some strength training in action! I caught a segment of a workout that Jenn Daoust was performing with BeachWalk Fitness Personal Trainer, Laura Antonini…

Make note of the verbal cues that Laura gives Jenn when it comes to her breathing. This is very important when you are lifting heavier weights. You need to focus an concentrate on your breathing, your form, and your posture. Notice how Jenn maintains proper form and posture while doing the T-bar row… especially make note of how she lowers the weight in a controlled fashion. You need to keep your body nice and tight at all times.

Jenn is always aware of the position of her body. She has intense focus. She’s not distracted and she is definitely not haphazardly lifting the weights or simply going through the motions. She’s training with purpose.

Laura has done an incredible job of teaching Jenn the proper mechanics of lifting, the importance of focus, and the benefits of proper breathing. From what I’ve witnessed during the past year, Jenn has been an amazing student too. She eager and willing to challenge her body in new ways. She puts faith in her trainer and is aware of the pay off.

I took some time to sit down with Jenn and ask her what her experience has been like this past year, the improvements that she’s seen with her body, and what her goals and objectives have been from the onset of her transformation journey. You’re really going to enjoy this video…

To give you a bit of a background, Jenn’s been training with Laura for the past year. She started off training with Laura 2x per week and recently dropped down to 1x per week.

She started training with Laura, not because of some event or special occasion… She just needed the extra push.

Her goals in the beginning were to be able to perform a 1 handed push up and do pull-ups. Now that’s a big difference from most goals that you hear about. Most people focus solely on the weight loss goal, but as Jenn mentions in the video, burning fat and shaping her body has been an awesome side benefit to her training.

…That’s some side benefit! Jenn has released 15% body fat during this time! I personally believe that when the focus of your training is not primarily on weight loss, it becomes easier to stick with the program. Losing weight just seems like hard work. Like it’s something that you “Have to do”. But when your goals are something other than fat loss and they are things that you enjoy aiming for, it’s amazing how you can stick to the program longer and experience the fat loss benefits as a “secondary achievement”.

In addition to training with Laura, Jenn also works out 3 additional times per week, typically by incorporating some kettlebell classes and a workout with a partner.

Jenn mentions that she doesn’t do any cardio other than the cardio vascular benefits that she experiences from the kettlebell class. This is very important to note, because cardio is typically the first thing that women begin to do when they are attempting to lose weight. What many women do not realize is that cardio is not the most efficient way to burn fat. It is however absolutely incredible for improving your overall cardiovascular health and it’s a great stress reliever for many people. Incorporating cardio into your training, whether it be on the treadmill or in an aerobics class, will also help with your strength training and muscle building, because your body becomes better and transporting oxygen rich blood to your muscles.

It’s also very important to note that one of the reasons that Jenn doesn’t have to do cardio is because she’s got her nutrition totally dialed in. Nutrition is where it’s at for fat loss!

Last but not least, Jenn emphasizes the many benefits of having a trainer ensure that you are using proper form, maintaining safe posture, keeping your body tight, and making sure that your breathing is working in your favor.

I personally hope to see more women incorporating strength training into their workouts at BeachWalk Fitness. This isn’t something that you have to do every workout. Notice how I said “Incorporate”. Mix strength training in with your hypertrophy training and other protocol that you enjoy, so you can experience the benefits that each of them have to offer.

Now it’s your turn to voice your thoughts and opinions ladies. Do you avoid lifting heavier weights? Why? Are you afraid to get big and bulky? Have you been unaware of how incorporating strength training can actually make you lean and sexy? I’d love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts in the comment box below.

To achieving your limitless potential,

Scott Tousignant

About The Authors

Scott and Angie Tousignant have been helping busy men and women, just like you, transform their body and life for over a decade. This dynamic duo prides themselves on providing a balanced and practical approach that will motivate and inspire you to become the best YOU that you can be.

Scott and Angie have dedicated themselves to sharing their exact workouts, what they eat, and how they stay motivated to continue transforming their body and life.

Their line up of body transforming programs have been used by people in over 70 countries including, ROCK That Body, which was recorded here at BeachWalk Family Fitness.

We’re excited to share in you successful body transformation!

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