Oner Active athlete Hayley Madigan sorts fact from fiction when it comes to strength training and reveals the one thing all women should know.
Don’t get me wrong, Pilates and yoga are some of my favourite forms of exercise, but nothing gets me feeling as strong and empowered as strength training does. I’d describe my weekly workout split as hybrid, switching from weights to HIIT workouts to yoga flow sessions and even sometimes just a slow simple walk.
But my strength training days are my favourite days, and that’s because it delivers a solid workout that finishes with me feeling like I’ve put some real effort in, and it feels good to feel strong.
Hayley Madigan agrees. The Oner Active athlete and personal trainer has always positioned strength training in first place on her board of favourite workouts, attributing her lean physique and positive mental state to the exercise.
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But what makes it stand out in comparison to other workouts for women? And is there anything specific that we should know before we pick up the weights? Here, Hayley reveals the dos and don’ts, plus everything in between.
What are the benefits of strength training as a woman?
“Lifting weights makes you physically stronger, yes, but this transfers over to your mental strength, resilience and self-confidence,” Hayley explains. “The ability to see yourself getting stronger is one of the best things a woman can do for her mental strength, and there’s no better feeling than knowing you worked hard for that and earned it yourself.”
What are some top tips for women approaching strength training for the first time?
“Strength training can be very intimidating at first, mainly because women aren’t sure how to do it correctly and don’t want to do it wrong in front of people,” she explains.
“My advice would be to follow a very simple programme, or set of exercises, that you can do with good form. Start with a dumbbell routine or use the pin-loaded machines.”
Hayley adds that — while the gym can be intimidating — you should never be afraid to ask personal trainers or staff members to help work the machines. It’s worth swallowing your pride to prevent injury.
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What do you wish more women knew about strength training?
“A lot of women don’t realise how beneficial strength training can be — especially post-menopause.
As women age, our hormones take a huge dip, which can cause muscle mass and bone health to decline. Weight training can reverse these effects by strengthening the bones, tendons, ligaments and surrounding muscles.”
But even for younger women who aren’t yet approaching menopause, strength training is a great way to promote longevity and overall health — the more muscle mass, the higher the metabolism.
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Is there anything beginners should avoid when strength training?
“Doing too much too soon,” says Hayley.
“Weight training can cause serious DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) and what you don’t want to do is too much too soon and then feel absolutely exhausted from it, as this can then put you off from being consistent.”
She recommends limiting yourself to two to three workouts per week as a beginner and spacing them out throughout the week, so you have time to rest.
“Also, repeating the same workout every time you train can be damaging. Ideally you only want to complete the same workout once a week. This is to ensure your body recovers fully and can then go again and hopefully be stronger the next time you do the same workout. What you don’t want to do is the exact same exercises every single day because your body won’t recover from them — plus this can lead to a drop in motivation and become monotonous.”
Hayley’s favourite exercises
For upper body:
- Lat pulldown
- Dumbbell chest press
- Dumbbell lateral raises
For lower body:
- Single-leg dumbbell hip thrusts
- Leg press
- Dumbbell walking lunges
For functional core and fitness:
- Farmer’s carry
- Suitcase carry
- Dumbbell overhead hold walk
Feature image: Pexels
