Weight Loss and Empowerment: Why You Should Lift Weights

For Nadine Steklenski, director of design for Target Corporate in Minneapolis, lifting weights has become a staple part of her fitness routine, but she hasn’t always thought that way. Like most women, she and fellow design executive Alexis Kantor shared a common resistance to, well, using more resistance. Unfortunately, when women think about lifting weights, you think it’s something more suited to male wellness, or anyone wanting to look as ripped as Thor. However, this isn’t the case, and your wellbeing may be suffering as a result of this misconception.

 

According to Alexander Koch, PhD, associate professor of exercise science at Lenoir-Rhyne University, ‘Lifting weights is excellent for improving bone density, joint mobility and body composition, and relieving anxiety and depression, and there is good data available now that shows being strong and having adequate muscle mass and strong bones are key health traits to help women live longer, fuller lives.’ A 2004 study in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, for example, showed that women who did the least amount of sit-ups were twice more likely to die prematurely than women in the highest quartile. Then another study, published in the June 2013 edition of the journal Diabetes, found that 12 weeks of strength training helped both men and women to increase their insulin sensitivity, which, in turn, decreased their risk of getting type 2 diabetes.

 

Lifting weights can even count as cardio says Jill Coleman, MS, former figure competitor and cofounder of the fat-loss company Metabolic Effect. In fact, the Diabetes study participants also reported improved lean body mass, decreased fasting glucose and insulin, and greater aerobic capacity. Coleman explains, ‘The idea that you have to separate the two is an old-school notion. The new way is faster, more intense workouts that combine weight training and cardio.’ And the benefits of lifting weights aren’t just physical, but mental too. Neghar Fonooni, RKC II, Santa Monica–based fitness coach and founder of the website Eat, Lift & Be Happy, notes, ‘Women are finding empowerment through lifting weights, and more importantly, we’re encouraging and supporting each other in these endeavours, as opposed to body-shaming one another.’

 

This was certainly the case for Steklenski and Kantor, who wouldn’t dream of going back to their pre-lifting days. ‘Why wouldn’t women want to lift weights?!’ says Steklenski, 40, who has set a personal record (PR) of 123 pounds. For Kantor, her deadlift PR stands at an impressive 270 pounds – and neither woman has bulked out like most women fear. ‘So far I’ve lost about 25 pounds and enough inches to have a wedding dress that’s two sizes too big — and I bought it recently,’ boasts 40-year-old Kantor. ‘It’s been fun to go down in sizes and find favourites in my closet that fit again, and fit even better.’

 

Not only do Kantor and Steklenski personify the supportive encouragement that Fonooni describes, Kantor is also inspiring the next generation into weight-lifting empowerment, as she began lifting weights in order to set an example for her daughter. ‘I wanted her to know that being a strong woman is something to be proud of,’ she comments. ‘Ever since I can remember, I have a voice in my head that says “I can’t!” But I made the choice to show up, silence the voice and lift more weight than I thought I could. Even before I saw a physical change, I felt different.’ That’s not to say that the little voice in her head doesn’t pop up now and again, but Kantor now chooses to act against fear, doing whatever it is that pushes her outside her comfort zone. I’m now constantly learning, growing and becoming a better version of me.’

Categories: empowerment, kantor, lift weights, lifting, Lifting Weights, nbsp, Weight Lifting, Weights, Women

Could a Workout Partner Help You Achieve Your Weight Goals?

The marketing around diet plans and weight loss programmes are often geared towards the individual. Adverts tell you to lose weight “your way” or to do “what works for you” – which is certainly a factor to consider – but doesn’t that make weight loss seem a little bit lonely? Surely, the endless road to that gorgeous figure wouldn’t seem so long if you had a friend to walk it with you. This is the theory of Dr. Adam Shafran and Lee Kantor, authors of You Can’t Lose Weight Alone, who argue that you cannot underestimate the value that a health and fitness partner will have to your weight loss goals, and overall wellbeing.

 

1. Accountability: If you didn’t have a boss to report to at the end of the day, would you get as much work done? Probably not, and the same is true of your diet and exercise plan. It’s all well and good having these admirable wellness goals, but when it comes down to actually doing the hard work, you’re likely to let yourself off easy unless you know someone is going to ask you about it tomorrow. You don’t want to let your workout partner down, and they can also make sure you’re being sensible in your regime.

 

2. Fun: You may not love the idea of getting on the treadmill, but what if your best friend was on the one next to you? According to Dr Shafran and Kantor, ‘People enjoy exercise more when they do it with a friend. You dissociate the physicality (and boredom) of exercising with all the fun you are having talking and socialising.’ Don’t think “I’m going to do exercise;” think “I’m going to catch up with my buddy today.”

 

3. Safety Net: Dr Shafran and Kantor explain, ‘Your partner is your insurance policy. She will catch you when you fall. She will forgive you and get you back on the programme…quickly.’ When you’re jogging together and you just can’t run anymore, your partner can stop you from curling up on a nearby bench and jacking it in altogether. Maybe she can get you to carry on to the next lamp post, and then another one, and you can do the same for her.

 

4. Workout Guarantee: You may make exercise plans with the best of intentions, but when the time comes you find there’s other things you’d rather be getting on with, and leave the workout for another day. However, when you set an appointment with someone, you’ll keep it since someone is counting on you. Dr Safran and Kantor note, ‘No one wants to let someone else down.’

 

5. Collective Goals: You and your partner will more easily reach your goals, because you’ve made them together. There’s an element of teamwork AND competition, which means you’ll help each other but you’ll also try to beat each other to reach the goal first. Dr Shafran and Kantor reiterate that you don’t want to look foolish not doing what you told someone you would do, so that accountability factor – and a bit of pride – mean you’ll be slim and trim in no time.

 

6. Teamwork: Having a workout partner means you are part of a team, and so you won’t feel alone in this uphill battle against your weight. Dr Shafran and Kantor point out, ‘Look at celebrities. They have a team to help them look good. They have personal trainers, a chef, a makeup artist, a hairstylist and a personal assistant.’ You may not be able to afford all those people, but you can certainly have a friend to cheer you on, pick you up when you fall, and hold your hand every step of the way.

Categories: accountability, dr shafran, kantor, Lose weight, nbsp, partner, shafran, Teamwork, weight, Weight Loss, Workout Partner