Feeling seen and strong – the power of strength training for women

I am a researcher with a passion for lifting weights. Through my research in the benefits of strength training for women who have experienced domestic family violence, I have learnt that many women find strength training empowering. They talk about the sense of progressive achievement and the satisfaction that comes with being able to lift their own body weight.

While I work with women who experience domestic violence, strength training brings them together without having to talk about that shared experience unless they want to. It has given them a space to focus on building physical strength and confidence. It reminds them that they are survivors.

People do strength training for many reasons and the benefits are massive.

There used to be a lot of very ‘masculine’ gym spaces, but that is slowly changing. If you go to any big gym now, you will see more women in the strength training section, particularly other middle-aged women.

What is strength training?

Strength training is exercising against a load and it is beneficial at all stages of life. Around menopause, women experience rapid bone loss, but strength training can help protect bone health at any age. For younger women, strength training and other forms of exercise can help build a strong foundation.

The type of strength training that we use within our program is about increasing strength over time.

We focus on lifts that use multiple joints, such as squats, bench presses and overhead presses. Then we progressively add to the amount that you’re lifting.

Physically, it’s the best way to increase muscular strength. Mentally, it’s important because you have that experience of progressive achievement.

The goal each week is for the weight to increase. Because of that, you’re seeing progressive achievement. You constantly have little micro goals.

The benefits of strength training aren’t just physical

Strength training can help women connect with their bodies and inner strength.

Women often speak about feeling a lot calmer after a session, partly because of the mindfulness it brings. When you are under the weight of a heavy barbell, you really need to be connected to the feeling of that weight.

Strength training often helps women focus on how their body is feeling. When women have experienced trauma, they can feel disconnected from their body.

For many of the women I’ve met through my research, our program was the first time they’d given themselves permission to do something for themselves. That flowed onto other parts of their life – making time to go for a walk with friends, changing the way they’re eating or seeing family members more often. A lot of women use the word ‘invisible’. They say starting strength training is the first time they haven’t felt invisible. This is the first time they’ve felt seen and strong again.

How can I get started with strength training?

There can be a lot of barriers to doing strength training, including time, cost and fear of the gym environment.

Fortunately, you don’t always need expensive equipment or a gym to get started. You can set up a good range of handheld dumbbells and resistance bands at home. Instead of focusing on increasing the weight you might focus on the number of repetitions you are doing.

Although, it is a good idea to start off with some help from a professional. Working with a qualified health professional helps get your technique right. We often start small and see how your body moves without a barbell before progressing to anything else.

If you have a university nearby that has exercise physiology students, they’ll often do discounted prices if you work with a fourth-year student on their placement.

The main fear for a lot of women can be about the intimidation of the gym space. One option is to join a women’s only gym, but I think ultimately it’s about women recognising that they have as much right to be there as anybody else and that they can hold the space.

Learning the techniques can help give you the confidence to keep going back. We are told as women to be quiet and weak and not take up too much space. Strength training can remind you that you are strong and you deserve to take up space.