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ISBN: Print 978-1-64152-738-5 | eBook 978-1-64152-739-2
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To all the followers of @b_noellefitness who have asked for assistance with weightlifting. This is for you!
CONTENTS
I started running track when I was 7 years old. My first experience with track and field was terrible. I was an awkward, skinny sprinter. Over the years, I became a much better technical sprinter and ended up running in college at UCLA. At the collegiate level, all students were required to go to weightlifting practice, as well as practice on the track. I learned a lot about powerlifting at this time and started to really like lifting weights. Since I was still much skinnier than my teammates, I worked hard to put on extra mass so that I could be more competitive. I also was getting tired of being made fun of by the other students for being too small and not curvy. I started to see results much faster in the gym than what I was seeing on the track. Getting faster with each workout was very difficult for me, but lifting heavier weight at each practice was fairly easy. This motivated me to keep showing up and adding more weight to the bar with each practice. I knew it would be difficult for me to gain muscle mass; however, I stuck with it and eventually gained the muscle mass I desired over many years of consistent training. It felt amazing to be able to lift a lot of weight for my small size. I wanted to be stronger than the men at my gym who werent athletes.
Once I graduated with my degree in physiological science, I decided not to go to graduate school for physical therapy, which was my original intention. I still wanted to learn how to fix and prevent injuries, but I decided to get certified as a personal trainer and learn how to help people in a more practical setting. It was the best decision of my life! Not only did I learn a lot about injury prevention, but I also learned a lot more about functional training in general.
Weightlifting has helped me feel strong and powerful, which are two things I think all women should strive for. That is why I wrote this book. I want to use all the knowledge Ive gathered over the years to help women begin their weightlifting journey the correct way. I also want to show women that weightlifting is empowering and wont make you any less feminine. In fact, weightlifting helps enhance your bodys natural curves!
Weightlifting is important and a great option for all womenno matter your age, background, or body shape. Once you begin your journey, I have no doubt that youll continue. The power and strength youll gain will be a life-changing part of your journey and are truly priceless.
How to Use This Book
This book is intended for those new to weightlifting. Therefore, Ill walk you through developing a weightlifting program by teaching you specific warm-ups, exercises, and stretches for each of the bodys major muscle groups. At the end of this book, you will also find sample workout programs. Feel free to take pieces of different programs and mix them together once you understand the movements and are comfortable with the concept of programming.
Ive also included helpful tips with every exercise in the book, like how to make a movement easier or more difficult. Take special note of any Home Workout Hack tips, as these tips will provide you with alternative movements that you can do if you are at home and are lacking certain equipment. Another thing to pay close attention to are any Lift Safely tips. These will provide you with any additional notes that youll need in regard to form, range of motion, and properly executing the movements.
While I will go into more detail on this later in the book, its worth mentioning here that its critical to warm up properly before working out. A proper warm-up will help you prepare your muscles for the workout as well as prevent injury. It is equally important to stretch after your workout. There will be warm-up movements and stretches provided for each muscle group in this book. In other words, keep reading and youll have all the tools necessary to learn how to lift weight safely, effectively, and for life!
9 Benefits of Weight Training
Why should you begin weightlifting? Appearance aside, there are many physical, mental, and emotional health benefits associated with lifting weights. In addition to improving your strength, an expected benefit most people think of when it comes to weight training, there are numerous other physical benefits, such as increasing bone density, metabolic rate, cognitive ability, coordination and stability, cardiovascular capacity, energy, and cell function, as well as reducing stress. All of these benefits aid in empowering you to feel both physically and mentally strong and help in how you view each day. Below are the details and science supporting each of these impressive benefits.
