Get Buff, Not Big: Reasons to Pump Iron

Each day on college campuses across america, female students head to the gym to break a sweat.

However, most of these women are cardio queens, who rarely retreat towards the almost all-male weight lifting area.

You know what I’m talking about- it can be expected at co-ed gyms- that free weight area which hosts muscular men lifting twenty times the amount can only dream of. 

Besides avoiding those intimidating male areas of the gym, why don’t women spend more time lifting weights with all the benefits it provides?

Instant Gratification

Andrew Carnegie once said that “anything in life worth having is worth working for.”

When it comes to lifting weights, chances are that you won’t see immediate muscle tone, even though you may feel your workout the morning after.

Results vary between individuals, but lean muscle definition unfortunately doesn’t appear overnight.

Remember that you’re sculpting your body- Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Work hard to get the results you want!

Work Out More, Weigh More?

When your body reacts to weight lifting and begins to take shape, you may notice a change in the scales.

This upward shift may seem counterproductive to the initial reasons behind heading to sweat in the first place.

Don’t worry! You’re turning fat tissue into muscle!

You aren’t getting big or bulky. Even though muscle weighs more than fat, bodies will become tighter and will shrink as they lose fat and become more defined.

So What’s It All Worth?

I lift weights because for me, strength is empowering.

Apart from strength being a major confidence boost, weight lifting has been proven to have additional benefits.

Some of the benefits weight lifting provides are:

• Metabolism Boost: while cardio burns more calories on the spot, lifting weights keeps the burn going once you’re done because of an increase in lean muscle mass. Can’t complain about that!
• Dropping Clothing Sizes: The average woman who strength trains two to three times a week for two months will gain nearly two pounds of muscle and will lose 3.5 pounds of fat, according to Wayne Westcott from the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts.
• Reduction of Injury and Disease: If you lift, you are less likely to be injured, have arthritis or back pain, reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, and fight depression.

So, what are you weighting for? Get out there and enjoy your next (or first) iron-pumping session!

Check out my last post, Budget-Friendly Grocery Shopping Tips for Savvy Co-Eds!

Jenny Demartini is a senior at the University of Florida majoring in journalism. She loves the outdoors, social media and Gator football!