In a world where fitness no longer knows any gender boundaries, women have entered the realm of strength training and are rewriting the narrative and disrupting gender stereotypes.
Lifting heavy weights was once reserved for men, but that scenario is quickly changing as more and more women leave the cardio machines and enter the weights section. One of the main exercises that embody strength training as a whole is deadlift.
A compound movement that targets various muscle groups in your body, deadlifts are often held fast as a marker of strength. Deadlifts form the foundation of most power training programs and strength training routines of many athletes and are one of the three lifts in powerlifting.
However, if you’re a woman and wondering whether or not you should add deadlifts to your routine, then you’ve found just the right blog. Today, we will explore the benefits of deadlifting for females to determine whether or not it’s a good exercise for you. We will also take a look at the good weight range of deadlifts for girls!
Table of Contents
- Are Deadlifts Good For Women: 7 Benefits of Deadlift
- Can Deadlifts Help In Belly Fat Loss?
- What Is A Good Weight For A Woman To Deadlift?
- Expert’s Advice
- The Final Say
- FAQs
- References
Are Deadlifts Good For Women? 7 Benefits of Deadlift
Deadlifts are excellent for women, boosting overall strength, targeting the glutes, hamstrings, and core, and improving posture and bone density. Let’s look at the benefits of adding deadlifts to your regular training routine in detail:
1. Builds Functional Strength
Deadlifts are compound exercises that target more than one muscle group, i.e., the lower back, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, traps, and forearm. This complex muscle activation helps women build functional power for everyday activities and sports.
This strength is directly reflected in real life — you use the same strength in moving furniture and lifting something heavy from the ground. This added power in day-to-day activities is sure to make you feel empowered and strong!
2. Improves Posture & Core Stability
Deadlifts engage and strengthen the core throughout the movement. This improves one’s posture and reduces the risk of lower back pain. A strong core helps maintain a proper, upright posture and supports the spine during everyday movements, which again translates to functional strength.
Poor posture often stems from weak glutes, hamstrings, and lats, but deadlifts target all these muscles, building strength, promoting balance, and ensuring a strong, straight back with shoulders back and chest lifted.
Also Read: Get Fit With These 4 Best Core Strengthening Exercises For A Solid Workout Regime!
3. Supports Weight Loss
Deadlifts are a calorie-burning powerhouse. The high energy expenditure involved in this compound movement contributes to weight loss efforts and a leaner physique. Additionally, deadlifts also help boost your metabolism, which helps you burn more calories even while at rest!
4. Enhances Fat Burning
Fat loss is only possible when your body burns more calories than it consumes, creating a calorie deficit. As seen in the point above, deadlifts are a great exercise for burning calories, which triggers fat loss. Regular strength training, like doing deadlifts and other exercises, increases muscle mass, boosts metabolism, and promotes fat burning. However, your diet also plays a major role in fat loss, and without a healthy diet, fat loss would not be that effective.
5. Increases Bone Health
Regular strength training, such as deadlifts, improves bone density by applying weight-bearing pressure, promoting stronger bones.
Regular deadlifting, other strength training exercises, and proper nutrition play a crucial role in maintaining long-term bone health. By stimulating bone growth, you reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis, a condition that disproportionately affects women while ageing.
6. Improves Grip Strength
Because they require a firm hold on the barbell throughout the movement, deadlifts are excellent for improving grip strength. Strengthening the grip not only benefits deadlifting but also enhances performance in other lifts and even everyday tasks like carrying groceries or opening jars.
7. Great For Muscle Gain
Building muscle will not make women look bulky but will make your physique toned and strong. By engaging multiple muscle groups, deadlifts stimulate muscle fibres, leading to increased muscle mass and strength in areas like the glutes, hamstrings, back, and core.
Also Read: What’s The Ideal Muscle Mass Percentage For Men & Women? A Guide To Better Body Composition
Can Deadlifts Help In Belly Fat Loss?
No single exercise can help you lose belly fat. Though deadlifts (along with other strength training exercises) can help you burn fat, it will not be to a great degree unless you also incorporate a protein-rich and balanced diet that also provides a caloric deficit. Besides, fat loss happens throughout the body, not in one specific area, so you will have to lose overall body fat in order to shed the inches off your waist.
Combining strength training and cardio with proper nutrition and overall calorie control is key to reducing belly fat effectively.
Also Read: 16 Fat-Burning Foods To Lose Weight & Get That Lean Figure!
What Is A Good Weight For A Woman To Deadlift?
There are several factors that determine a good deadlift weight for women. These include age, body weight, fitness level and training experience.
- Age can play an important role in the capabilities of strength. As we age, our muscle mass naturally decreases, which can reduce our strength. However, regular strength training can help slow this decline.
- Body weight is another factor to be considered. In general, heavier individuals have more muscle mass and can lift heavier weights than those with lower body weights.
- Fitness and training experience also play a significant role. Those new to strength training will not be able to lift as much as those years of training.
However, in general, the following weights are considered ‘good’ for individuals depending on their fitness level. We have mentioned the weight in percentage, so the weight you lift would be ideal for your body weight.
| Beginner | If you're just starting out, you might aim for 50-100% of your body weight.
For example, if you weigh 60 kg, you could start with anywhere from 30 kg to 60 kg. |
| Intermediate | After a few months to a year of training, lifting 125-150% of your body weight is typical.
For a 60 kg woman, that would be around 75-90 kg. |
| Advanced | For more experienced lifters, aiming for 175-200% of your body weight or more is common.
So, for a 60 kg woman, that would range from 105 kg to 120 kg or even higher. |
Expert’s Advice
Deadlifts are safe for most people, but as an expert, I urge you to first learn the proper form and technique with light weights before moving on to heavier weights. With regular training and focusing on the right form, you can significantly increase your strength, but I recommend that you increase the weights gradually and don’t lift more than your body allows.
Health Expert
Lavina Chauhan
The Final Say
In the fitness world, deadlifts are a symbol of strength for women. It is a transformative exercise that not only transforms your body but also gives you functional strength, improves posture, enhances core stability, increases fat burn, improves bone density and so on. Remember to first learn the proper form before lifting heavy weights; otherwise, you risk injury, especially in your lower back.
FAQs
1. What does deadlifting do to a woman's body?
Deadlifting strengthens a woman's entire body, particularly the glutes, hamstrings, core, and back, while improving posture and functional strength.
2. Is a 60 kg deadlift good for a woman?
A 60 kg deadlift is a strong accomplishment for many women, especially beginners or those with intermediate training experience. However, the ideal weight varies depending on factors like body weight, fitness level, and training history.
References
- https://rachellawfitness.com/why-women-should-do-deadlifts/
- https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/why-women-should-deadlift.html
- https://bonytobombshell.com/deadlifts-for-women/
- https://longevity.technology/lifestyle/8-reasons-women-should-add-deadlifts-into-their-workout-routine/amp/
- https://gunsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/how-much-can-the-average-woman-deadlift#:~:text=An%20intermediate%20lifter%20
- https://www.oxygenmag.com/training-tips-for-women/woman-deadlift-12295/
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