Why should women try powerlifting?

If someone said to you that they knew something you could do that would be empowering, challenging, engaging and would change your body composition - would you consider it? Powerlifting, often confused with Olympic lifting, is an individualized sport in which competitors attempt to lift as much weight as possible for one repetition in the squat, bench press, and deadlift. For women, powerlifting is currently a niche sport but one that is growing.

Many women are under the impression that lifting weights will make you bulk up when in fact women don't have the testosterone to get the big muscles. Building muscle isn't easy and you won't turn into a she-hulk if you squat your own body weight, what you will end up with is stronger legs and great backside! The way you train will play a significant role in your success - if you adhere to a balanced program of lunges, dead lifts, squats, pull ups, push ups and presses you will get stronger, not bigger.

Weight training can:

• reduce stress and is good for your heart.
• make you stronger and reduces your risk of osteoporosis.
• help you lose weight. According to one study, adding just two sessions per week of heavy lifting can reduce your body fat by three percent without cutting calories.
• strengthen bones and stabilize joints which reduces the risk of injury.
• increase your metabolism. When you put on more lean mass, your body requires more energy which in turn allows you to burn more calories during the day without exercise.

What many women notice when they start lifting is the positive community surrounding them. When people go for a personal best (lifting more weight than they have previously) there is a lot of support from other lifters, sometimes cheering you on trying you psych you up for the lift. Having people root for you and celebrate with you for having achieved something you may not have thought possible a month or two ago can be an amazing and addicting experience.

Throwing around some heavy weight can also do wonders for your self-esteem. If you feel physically strong, chances are it will increase your confidence in your ability to tackle new challenges in and outside the gym.

Whether you have just beat a personal best or you're just starting to see and feel the difference in the strength of your own body, one of the best things lifting does is to turn your attention away from just getting "skinny" and empowers you to create a strong new body that's all your own.

References from the SIRC Collection:

1. Haines J, Thrine A, Titlebaum P, Daprano C. Women and Weight Training: Education and Demonstration Make a Difference. Applied Research In Coaching & Athletics Annual. May 2008;23:237-254.
2. KOLBER M, CORRAO M. SHOULDER JOINT AND MUSCLE CHARACTERISTICS AMONG HEALTHY FEMALE RECREATIONAL WEIGHT TRAINING PARTICIPANTS. Journal Of Strength & Conditioning Research (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins). January 2011;25(1):231-241.
3. Lifting Weights Attacks Unhealthy Belly Fat in Women. Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter. June 2006;24(4):8.
4. Nasim H. THE EFFECT OF SHORT-TERM WEIGHT-BEARING EXERCISE ON BONE MASS DENSITY IN OBESE AND THIN YOUNG GIRLS. / EFEKTI KRATKOTRAJNOG VJEŽBANJA SA DODATNIM TEGOVIMA NA KOŠTANU MASU KOD PRETILIH I MRŠAVIH DJEVOJAKA. Sport Scientific & Practical Aspects. December 2010;7(2):11-16.
5. Seguin R, Economos C, Palombo R, Hyatt R, Kuder J, Nelson M. Strength Training and Older Women: A Cross-Sectional Study Examining Factors Related to Exercise Adherence. Journal Of Aging & Physical Activity. April 2010;18(2):201-218.
6. Shepherd J. Why are you weight-ing?. Ultra-Fit Magazine. August 2013;23(7):4.

InBody Body Composition Analyzer

At the Canadian Sport for Life National Summit in Gatineau-Ottawa, Canada, the staff at SIRC got to meet some very friendly and knowledgeable people and we learned a few new things as well. One of the interesting experiences we had was trying out InBody's body composition analyzer.

This machine measures body composition using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) to give you a fast, non-invasive and accurate reading of your lean body mass, body fat and body water. The machine passes a low level electrical current through a person's body at touch points in the hands and feet.  The current passes through the muscle, fat and water at different rates making it possible to get an accurate reading of a participants body composition. The whole process takes about a minute and the machine gives you a detailed printout of each measurement and the recommendations for areas of improvement. 

The InBody machine will also measure your Basal Metabolic Rate to help you gauge the amount of calories you should be consuming on a daily basis for optimal health.  Based on your results, the InBody will make its suggestions for how much muscle and fat you should gain or lose in order for you to achieve your ideal body composition.

This type of read out can be a useful tool in knowing what your body is comprised of, whereas stepping on the scale or measuring your body mass index (BMI) gives you somewhat limited data to work with. Having a permanent record of where you started and measuring it periodically over time, every three months for example, a person can easily track the progress they've made in their health and fitness levels.

Paul McDonald, a representative for Jedco Marketing, was very helpful in explaining the printout and how the machine worked.  It was explained that the results could be very useful in forming a guide for creating a personalized plan for those new to exercise, as well as a great option for athletes looking for an accurate reading in order to target specific areas for improvement. 

References from the SIRC Collection:

1.Company J, Ball S. Body Composition Comparison: Bioelectric Impedance Analysis with Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry in Adult Athletes. Measurement In Physical Education & Exercise Science. July 2010;14(3):186-201.
2. Ji-Guang W, Yi Z, Biao L, et al. COMPARISON OF TWO BIOELECTRICAL IMPEDANCE ANALYSIS DEVICES WITH DUAL ENERGY X-RAY ABSORPTIOMETRY AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING IN THE ESTIMATION OF BODY COMPOSITION. Journal Of Strength & Conditioning Research (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins). January 2013;27(1):236-243.
3. Malisova O, Bountziouka V, Panagiotakos D, Zampelas A, Kapsokefalou M. The water balance questionnaire: design, reliability and validity of a questionnaire to evaluate water balance in the general population. International Journal Of Food Sciences & Nutrition. March 2012;63(2):138-144.
4. Ryder J, Ball S. Three-Dimensional Body Scanning as a Novel Technique for Body Composition Assessment: A Preliminary Investigation. Journal Of Exercise Physiology Online. February 2012;15(1):1-14.
5. Separately Assess Body Weight, Body Fat, and BMI. Running & Fitnews. March 2011;29(2):3-8.
6. Stahn A, Terblanche E, Strobel G. Modeling upper and lower limb muscle volume by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Journal Of Applied Physiology. October 2007;103(4):1428-1435.