Train like a Beauty

Annie is a 29 year old fitness & wellness coach from Toronto. We spoke to her to get an insight into the female body and how weight training can effect it differently to males...

Annie has always been into fitness but her real journey started around 5 years ago at the age of 24. “I’ve always liked being active, but I fell off especially after I finished university. However, 5 years ago I fell sick (where I almost died), and in the recovery process I decided to start with a clean slate by exercising again and eating cleaner.” After this traumatic event she decided to kickstart her journey and built a coaching business to go alongside. “After my near death experience, living that clean slate life truly saved my life and helped me heal much more quickly than I would have if I had not changed my lifestyle. I’ve been in the fitness and health industry for almost 4 years now and I chose to be a fitness and wellness coach because I LOVE helping and inspiring people of all ages, backgrounds and gender feel strong, fit, and most importantly healthy.”

So Annie, how exactly is the female body different to males in terms of training?

“The female body is different from a male’s body in a variety of ways. One being the concentration of hormones women and men have which affects how women and men store and lose fat. Women are slow to burn fat and slow to build muscles in comparison to men. For example, for childbearing reasons, women have a hard time getting rid of fat in the stomach area in comparison to men. This is not is not to say that women can’t burn fat and build muscles because they can. After all, muscles (both in men and women) are formed by bundles of fibres so with diligent training and consistency women can also attain muscles and reduce overall body fat percentage.”

People think that if women lift weights they will get ‘bulky and manly’, is this true or is it a perception people have?

“This idea is a misconception, women do have the capacity to get “bulky” or “muscular” but that requires A LOT OF EFFORT, protein shakes, and hours of intense weightlifting training. Women who have achieved that “bulky” or “muscular” body type strive to look this way with a specific intense weight training and a special diet. It takes a lot of food and a lot of weight to get like that so people who train normally shouldn’t worry.”

As a female should our weight training routines be different way to males?

“The answer to the question of whether females should train differently from males is, Yes and no. The reason is because males and females have different sexual dimorphism (physical differences between males and females) which does make us different and we need to remember that when weight training. Majority (but not all) of men weight train to build muscles and be muscular which is different for some women (but not all) and thus, this requires different methods of training. In my professional opinion, I believe it’s important for women to add resistance, flexibility and conditioning training to weight training. But it’s definitely important for women to strength train as every woman can benefit from weight training regardless of her age.”

How often would you recommend weight training in a week and how long should each session last?

“How often one should train depends on the individual’s own personal schedule, and what their personal goals are. For example, if you are new to training but want to stay active, I recommend you start doing two to three strength training workouts per week and two conditioning/ cardio workouts per week for about two months until your body gets used to training then you can gradually increase it. However, I will advise that one day of weight training be followed by at least one day of rest for beginners. In my professional opinion, I believe that a brief workout is better than no workout at all because even minimal training is highly beneficial for the body and muscle development. Beginner: 12- 20 minutes/per day then after a month or two increase the time to maybe 20-30 minutes. But an ideal workout time is between 45 minutes to an hour. That is all that you need. There is such a thing as over training, so train wisely.”

Do you have any recommendations of good workout splits?

“Training the entire body is important but trying to work the entire body in a single workout can be difficult at times. I would recommend breaking down your workouts, so you don’t feel overwhelmed and work the muscles efficiently. For example, if you dedicate two days to strength training your workout plan should look something like this:

Day One:

Lower Body: Quadriceps and Glutes Upper Body: Abs and Back

Day Two:

Lower Body: Glutes and Hamstrings Upper Body: Abs and Shoulders”

What would be your top tips for females that are wanting to start weight training and working towards specific fitness goals?

“My top advice will be, don’t be scared and just do it!. Weight training is not only rewarding but it’s also a great way to sculpt your body naturally to your liking. Do not be afraid to seek or ask for help. If you do not know how to get started, reach out to a fitness professional and learn as much as you can while training with them.”

Check out Annie on Instagram - @cleanslate_fitness.wellness