What can a petite woman like 5-2, 105 lbs., gain by strength training with only light weights?
Are you a petite or “small framed” woman who was told you should work out with only light weights?
It’s no secret that many small women have been told to avoid heavy weights, to stick to lifting only light loads.
This has caused confusion for smaller framed women, especially if this recommendation came from someone in the physical health field, like a physical therapist, chiropractor or doctor.
However, let’s look at this anecdotally: The small framed woman should be able to see how illogical this recommendation is.
First off what’s the cut-off point for height?
Is it 5-2? 5-3? What’s the weight cut-off? 117 pounds? 112? 108? Or is the cut-off measured in terms of girth: Waist—22 inches? 24 inches? Thigh circumference? Span of shoulders?
Do you see how nuts this all is? What determines the cut-off point for a woman being too small to lift heavy weights?
And if a small woman should avoid lifting heavy loads, then does this mean she’s banned from:
• Hoisting around her toddlers?
• Lifting them up, placing them in the car seat?
• How about carrying a sick preschooler or vacuum cleaner up a staircase?
• Where does this end?
If a small woman shouldn’t be lifting the heavy weights at her gym, and instead should limit herself to just light resistance, then does this mean she shouldn’t carry her luggage at the airport?
That she should always request to a stranger to lift her carry-on to the airplane’s overhead compartment?
And heaven forbid if the only available passenger or flight attendant to ask is another woman her size!
Small women should lift heavy weights.
So should medium and large. Some of the strongest women are well under 5’5.
And if you define petite as a girth issue more than height issue, then I’ll add on that very lean women can possess impressive strength.
Shutterstock/sportpoint
Surely you’ve seen very short men working out with enormous amounts of weight. Nobody ever says that slight framed men should use only light weights.
In fact, they are encouraged to work out with heavier and heavier loads. So why is there this double standard for the slight-framed woman?
Being slight framed is a notable risk factor for brittle bone disease after menopause.
Source: vecteezy.com
A woman need not to lose her “small” build just because she works out with heavy resistance at the gym.
Heavy loads will shift her body composition; her body weight may even stay the same; the ratio of muscle to fat tissue will change. She’ll be stronger, tighter, and possibly lose a dress size or two.
For a woman, being short and/or having the so-called slight frame does not contraindicate lifting heavy weights.
Beginners, regardless of height, weight or physique shape, should start with mildly challenging resistance to avoid injury or a muscle strain.
And then from that point forward, they can work up to increasing resistance over time.
Being able to work out with heavy weights will make daily life so much easier, and the strong but small woman is a much more independent individual.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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