¿Las mujeres podemos entrenar con pesas?/ Can women train with weights? [ESP/ENG]

Culturally, society has sold us women, the idea of a slim figure, with slender arms and legs, firm but not bulky, and this is where the fear of many women to dare to train with weights lies.


The first thing we must establish when training with weights is the objective we have set ourselves, therefore training with weights can have as a goal to increase muscle mass (hypertrophy) or increase muscular endurance.


Generally, we women seek muscular endurance to achieve toned arms, legs, and back. Therefore, we should start with low loads distributing the physical activity in short series (3-4) with a range of repetitions between 8-12. We can start with 2 lbs dumbbells, and as long as we perceive that there is no muscle fatigue in the repetitions of the last series, it will be the right time to increase the weight with which to work.

Contrary to popular belief, women are obliged to perform exercises with weights, especially in the peri-menopausal age, since this is the period when ovarian hormones begin to decrease with the loss of bone mass.

Well, some studies have shown that weight-bearing exercises involve a series of locomotor movements that involve muscles and joints. These lever type movements are those made by our arms when we extend and flex with the center of rotation being our elbows. Also in the case of extending the arms away from our central axis, it is a lever type movement with its center of rotation in our shoulders. The same happens with the lower body (legs) with movements that involve the knees or hips as the center of rotation.



As we train with load, the bone that makes leverage undergoes a thickening, this means that it stimulates the osteocytes (bone cells) to form bone rich in calcium, which makes it strong and resistant, delaying osteoporosis. For example, by exercising our biceps with dumbbells, extending and contracting, we will be strengthening the humerus bone. In the case of bench presses for the legs, if the load to be lifted is below the knees, we will be strengthening the femur, a critical point to avoid future hip wear.

One particular recommendation I must give you is that if you are going to train with weights to maintain your musculoskeletal health, you must be attentive to perform the exercises correctly and thus avoid injuries. If you are in a peri-menopausal or menopausal age, this is the time to start. If you take calcium supplements, remember that it is only fixed in the bones if you are moving and receive a daily dose of sunlight for half an hour.