By CJ Lampad
NOW, more than ever, fitness is an arena that’s no longer automatically associated with men. Women are also taking the forefronts in getting and staying active, especially in CrossFit.
But despite the female dominance in fitness, there are still these misconceptions and hesitations among women to engage in physical activities like CrossFit. Some are afraid that working out will bulk them up, contrary to the ‘sexy’ figure many wants to achieve.
Coach Zoe Pond McPherson of Primal Ape, believes striving for overall fitness instead is what should be deemed sexy. To add – Lifting weights won’t actually make a female bulk up.
“We physiologically have a harder time than men getting bulky, and if it were that easy for men to bulk up, wouldn’t we see more buff guys walking around? That aside, if a woman wants to be ‘skinny sexy’ and get there in a healthy way, she should lift weights. It’s the best way to get there.”
If there’s something women should consider, it’s Resistance Training. It’s more effective for caloric burn than Cardio alone. To take it even further, resistance training increases metabolism both during and after the exercise (for 24-48 hours post lifting), cardio only burns calories during the exercise. Better bone health, and stronger muscles are among the wide array of benefits in Resistance training for women.
It’s not surprising why there’s an increasing number of women getting fit through activities like CrossFit; the benefits go beyond looking good.
Badit Cuason started Crossfit in July 2015 with Primal Ape CrossFit in Makati. And she wouldn’t have taken her fitness the other way. “It’s empowering, it’s revitalizing,” she said. “It’s always a brand new me every time I finish a workout.” She adds that each day is a confidence boost for her.
Her favorite work out is Barbell lifting. She said it’s what keeps her going back another day for CrossFit. Weight lifting is among the workouts that Primal Ape CrossFit takes advantage in its programming. Many female members enjoys the program Primal Fit, for it properly utilizes weight lifting—where they give credit most of the benefits they got for doing CrossFit.
Badit’s not stopping anytime soon. And with Primal Ape CrossFit on her side for fitness, she would continue to break stereotypes for women, one lift at a time.
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