Did you know that more and more women are getting into weight training? According to survey results, pumping iron is the second most popular choice of exercise for up to 45% of women.

Traditionally, strength training for women and female bodybuilding has suffered from a highly negative and stereotyped public view. For example—even though weight training can actually increase your lifespan, and is particularly beneficial for women—according to research, social judgment is the #1 barrier preventing women from weight training.

Fortunately, as more and more women take advantage of weight training, this stigma is on the way out.

Are you also ditching the cultural negativity around getting strong? If so, you’re in for a number of attractive benefits. Read on to find out what these are, and why female bodybuilding and weightlifting is an all-round good idea.

1. Body Building Is Proven to Burn Fat

Whatever your fitness goals are, excess body fat is usually not one of them.

In the past, cardio was commonly thought to be the only way to effectively burn body fat. For this reason, many women’s fitness routines consisted of cardio-based workouts, with little to no strength training.

However, recent research has indicated that weight training can activate the body to burn enhanced levels of calories throughout the day. This is because higher levels of lean muscle mass cause an automatic consumption of more calories by the body.

2. Weight Training Is the Best Way to Get “Toned” and Build More Muscle Mass

Toned, the word that women’s fitness articles and magazines bandy continuously, actually means muscular.

A lot of women steer clear of weight training and bodybuilding for the fear of becoming overly muscular and developing a male-like physique. However, because women produce roughly 20% less testosterone than men, strength training in women is unlikely to produce hulk-like biceps unless a woman follows an intensive, semi-professional and competitive bodybuilding routine for many years.

Opposingly, bodybuilding in women can actually result in a “curvy” yet strong physique. Muscles form much of our body’s structure and give shape to our body and limbs. Working these muscles can result in a shaped body that’s at the same time muscular, strong, and free of excess fat.

3. Your Metabolism Will Speed Up

Thanks to the enhanced levels of calorie burning from increased muscle mass, bodybuilding can also cause your metabolism to speed up. In turn, this results in increased energy levels.

While some women’s fitness routines can lead you to feel drained and tired (such as high cardio, low-calorie plans), strength training is apt to leave you feeling stronger and more energetic.

4. Body Building Minimizes Osteoporosis Risks

One of the most valuable benefits of strength training and bodybuilding for women is it’s been proven to reduce osteoporosis risks. Bone loss affects more than 50% of women, and its effects can lead to bone breaks and fractures after menopause.

However, you might be able to beat these odds, thanks to weight training and bodybuilding.

A published study on bone health and weight training revealed that 1 year of resistance training resulted in a 9% increase in spinal bone mass in postmenopausal women. This shows that osteoporosis can be guarded against and even reversed by regular strength training.

5. Body Building Is Good for Your Heart

Heart health is another area where cardio training is thought to be king.

However, according to new findings, weightlifting is actually better at reducing heart fat than cardio exercise.

6. Bodybuilding Causes You to Take Care of Your Body

One of the far-reaching benefits of bodybuilding is it requires you to pay close attention to how you’re caring for your body.

This is because you can’t build muscle mass without eating a healthy diet, getting adequate sleep, and drinking enough water. You definitely aren’t going to see results if you’re starving yourself, eating a processed diet, or getting 4 hours of sleep a night.

Taking good care of yourself also means you might feel less desire to do potentially damaging things, such as binge drinking or drugs.

By focusing on caring for your body, you might notice that this spills over into other areas of your life where you need to take care of yourself, such as in relationships, at work, etc.

7. You’ll Start Eating Healthier

We already touched on this above, but it’s worth elaborating on. If you take up bodybuilding for women seriously, you’ll need to get strict about your diet.

Female bodybuilders have to pay close attention to their meals and eating schedules, as what they eat has a direct influence on how successful their training is. Many female bodybuilders count their macros to ensure they’re getting the nutrition they need to meet their goals.

Additionally, most female bodybuilders also take vitamins and supplements to fuel their bodies.

The spin-off of counting macros is you’re likely to eat a lot healthier, and in the process, avoid empty and processed foods. Combining this with supplements and vitamins will give you a highly nutritious diet.

8. Bodybuilding Can Positively Affect More Than Just Your Physical Health

Many women who lift report that weight training and bodybuilding has a psychological and emotional range of benefits. Research has also revealed that most women who practice bodybuilding do it for the way it makes them feel.

The common feelings women have reported thanks to bodybuilding and weight training are increased confidence levels, lower levels of anxiety, higher motivation, and stronger mental resilience.

Training your body, pushing away your limits, achieving things you didn’t know you were capable of, and maintaining self-discipline all come with their own special kind of rewards.

Try Female Bodybuilding and See What We Mean

As you can see, there are a lot of compelling reasons to try female bodybuilding.

And no, lifting weights is not just for men. Women excel at it too.

If you want to start your bodybuilding journey, check our range of stacks and supplements and be sure to contact us if you have any questions.