We all know that exercise is great for both body and mind. But let’s be honest—most weekly workouts are dominated by cardio: running, cycling, stair-stepping, or sweating to old-school aerobics. And while there’s nothing wrong with getting your heart rate up, there’s one crucial element missing from many routines: resistance training.
Lifting weights is one of the most powerful things a woman can do to transform her body, boost her health, and supercharge her confidence. It’s not about "bulking up" — it’s about building strength, lean muscle, and long-term resilience.
Showing up to the gym and doing presses, squats, rows, and deadlifts won’t turn you into a bodybuilder. What it will do is:
- Tighten and tone your physique
- Boost your metabolism
- Help your body burn fat more efficiently
- Improve posture, confidence, and energy
Just look at the countless women in fitness—from athletes to everyday gym-goers—who are strong, lean, and full of life. Their secret? Consistency. They lift weights. They fuel properly. They sleep and recover. And it shows.
Science-Backed Benefits of Strength Training for Women
Lifting weights has been shown to:
- Enhance athletic performance
- Support heart and metabolic health
- Improve body composition (less fat, more lean mass)
- Balance hormones
- Reduce risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis
Strength training is medicine. And that’s exactly why we include personalized resistance training plans in every 1UP 8-Week Transformation Challenge and inside the 1UP Fitness App. Whether you’re a beginner or advanced, we meet you where you are and help you level up.
Don’t Forget: Nutrition is Half the Battle
Lifting without proper nutrition is like running a race with one shoe. If you want real results—fat loss, muscle gain, or body recomposition—you have to fuel for performance.
Protein is key. It helps repair and rebuild muscles, keeps you full, and supports metabolism. Most women don’t eat nearly enough.
A good rule of thumb: aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight daily.
Top protein sources:
- Eggs
- Chicken, turkey, lean beef
- Fish & shellfish
- Greek yogurt, cottage cheese
- Wild game
- Protein shakes (like Clear Protein post-workout!)
Protein powder can also be a huge help in hitting your daily protein requirements if you struggle to get enough protein each day. An easy way to increase your protein intake is to have a post-workout shake using Clear Protein after your resistance training workout. This helps stop protein breakdown and kickstart the recovery and repair process. Plus, protein shakes are easy on the stomach and take no time at all to prepare or clean up, making them an even better option for those days when you’re bouncing between week, family, and or social obligations.
The Bottom Line
It doesn’t matter if you’re 18 or 68. Lifting weights is essential to looking, feeling, and performing your best.
It builds:
- Strength
- Confidence
- Longevity
- Resilience
If you're unsure where to start, that's where we come in. The 1UP Fitness App gives you custom training plans, video demos for every move, and nutrition tracking tools to help you hit your goals faster.
Your strongest, healthiest self is just around the corner.
Let’s lift. Let’s level up. Let’s become more.