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5 Female Weightlifters To Follow On Instagram For Fitness Inspiration

2nd March 2022

2nd March 2022

By Shivraj Bassi

Instagram isn’t all photos of avocado toast and cat videos. It can be just the place to find serious inspiration for your next workout. It's also the home of the iconic community of women weightlifters. Oh yeah. 

Whether you’re a seasoned lifter or are just getting started, it can be tricky to find motivation - especially the sport is traditionally male-focused.

Finding someone who looks like you succeeding and giving their all could be the difference between giving weightlifting a proper go and giving it up completely.

Thankfully, the platform boasts a wealth of strong women who really know their way around a gym. We’ve assembled some super inspiring female weightlifters for you to channel during your next workout. Female weightlifting is a great source of weightlifting inspiration regardless of your ability, as some of these bad ass women are the best in the game.

Check them out... 

Sohee Lee

 

If you want not only incredibly well thought out workouts but to find out the science behind why and how they work, Sohee is the influencer to follow. She has a masters degree in psychology and is a certified strength and conditioning coach and nutritionist, and is currently completing a PhD in Sports Science. 

Her posts focus on debunking female weightlifting myths and breaking down exercises for her followers, empowering them to make their own choices. Male, or female. 

QiQi H

 

For some self-love women weightlifters inspiration, QiQi H is the one. Her lifting started as a bid for a healthier lifestyle, so her content is very relatable and covers cardio and HIIT as well as heavy lifting. 

For a dose of sunshine in your feed, she can’t be beat. Plus her workout outfit are truly goals - you’ll be inspired to up your weightlifting inspiration and leggings game. 

Nancy Gonzalez

 

Not everyone who’s into female weightlifting is at the ideal point in their journey, and Nancy understands that. She focuses on the process more than the end result, which is a healthy, positive attitude to take. 

Her uplifting captions are exactly what you want to read on a day when you really don’t want to step foot inside a gym. Her account will help you to remember the reason you started lifting in the first place. 

Sophie Butler

The very definition of inspiring, Sophie shows that there’s excuse for not following your passions. She continues to post her fitness journey and tips after injuring her spine during training in 2017. 

Now, her grid is full of routines that will prove you can lift heavier weights than you ever thought you could. Definitely one to follow. 

Courtney Pruce

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Courts (@courtneypruce)Courtney’s account focuses on a whole-body approach to women’s weightlifting, encompassing nourishing foods and flawless fitness routines. She was a dancer before becoming a personal trainer, and grace runs through everything she does. 

 

Courtney hosts online fitness classes and her infectious positive energy will put a smile on your face and motivate you to lift heavier, work harder and always give your best. 

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From the Bedroom to the Gym: Is Your Sex Life Affecting Your Workout Performance?
The relationship between sex and workout performance is one that’s long been debated by scientists and fitness fanatics alike. It’s complicated and multifaceted, so answering the question of whether your sex life is affecting your training is difficult. That said, today we’re going to take a look at a variety of evidence, both academic and anecdotal, as well as several different scenarios and at least try to reduce some of the mystery around the subject. First, it helps to understand what’s actually happening to the body, both physically and psychologically, during both activities.   The Effects of Sex on the Body Sexual activity causes several changes to occur in the body:   Physical Changes That Occur During Sex During sexual activity and the lead up to it, the human body undergoes a process known as the sexual response cycle. This is the case for both males and females, though the cycle can be highly individual and may not be the same each time for each person. Describing the full sexual response cycle is beyond the scope of this article, however it consists of 4 phases: Desire Arousal Orgasm Resolution Factors such as elevated heart rate, increased blood flow and pressure and heightened muscle tension all come into play. If you’d like to read about the sexual response cycle in more detail, check out this great article from Cleveland Clinic.   Psychological Changes That Occur During Sex Several psychological changes occur both during and after sex. Most notable are the release of endorphins and oxytocin, which are associated with improved mood and a better sense of wellbeing. These are also responsible for reduced stress levels, which brings a multitude of additional benefits that are of particular interest to those of us participating in regular training and exercise. Cortisol, the hormone responsible for stress, is catabolic in high levels, meaning it can cause the breakdown of lean tissue. So, whilst it is unclear whether sex itself affects workout performance, the reduction in stress levels it may bring is definitely beneficial for preserving our results!   The Effects of Exercise and Training on the Body Exercise and training also cause the body to undergo a number of changes. These occur both during and after the physical activity. There are in fact a number of similarities in changes that happen during exercise and sex:   Physical Changes That Occur During Exercise The physical changes that happen in the body vary based on the type of exercise being undertaken, however, there are some that are common to exercise in general: Increased heart rate Increased blood flow, especially to the muscles Faster, deeper breathing due to additional oxygen needs Heightened activity within the circulatory, respiratory, musculoskeletal and endocrine systems A full summary of the changes that occur within these systems can be found here. More aerobically demanding exercise will, of course, place greater emphasis on the circulatory and respiratory systems as well as causing fat to be metabolised as an energy source. Resistance training, which often relies more heavily on the lactate and creatine phosphate energy systems, instead promotes greater muscular and endocrine (hormone) activity. Note the common physical changes between sex and exercise here, as they do crossover!   Psychological Changes That Occur During Exercise The psychological changes that occur during exercise are similar to those experienced during sexual activity and are mostly related to the release of endorphins and other ‘feelgood’ hormones. These help to regulate mood, and it is common knowledge that frequent exercise and leading an active, healthy lifestyle promotes a feeling of wellbeing.   Does Sex Affect Our Workouts? This is where things become complicated. Though extensive studies have been done on the subject, the results of these have varied massively. We must also take into account the experience of individuals, and this anecdotal evidence again has huge variance. Let’s look at both:   Sex and Training: What the Science Says Scientific studies on the relationship between sex and training are contradictory at best. There’s no denying the positive benefits of both activities, particularly from a psychological perspective, but as for the effect of sex on actual performance in the gym the results are inconclusive. A study, published in April 2021, by Kirecci, Albayrak and co. examined the effects of sexual activity of 50 men in the 24 hours prior to training on lower body strength. The study measured effects by having the men perform 3 separate squat sessions, each at the same time of day. Each of these sessions occurred after participating in or abstaining from sexual activity the night before. The men performed 5 sets of 5 repetitions of their maximum squat weight during these sessions and the difference in weight lifted was observed. The study concluded that ‘sexual intercourse within 24 hours before exercise [has a] detrimental effect on lower extremity muscle force, which suggests that restricting sexual activity before a short-term activity may be necessary.’ Aside from this study, most others found either no notable relationship between sex and athletic performance. A meta-analysis of 9 crossover studies, conducted by Zavorsky and Brooks and published on 16 September 2022, confirms this. The analysis concluded that ‘The results demonstrate that sexual activity within 30 min to 24 h before exercise does not appear to affect aerobic fitness, musculoskeletal endurance, or strength/power.’ This is perhaps more notable, because these studies incorporated different types of exercise and were not restricted purely to a strength/power based activity like squats.   Anecdotal Evidence: What About the Experiences of Real Gym Goers? The anecdotal evidence is, as expected, highly individualised. However, there tends to be a bias against the results of most studies, particularly in those participating in sports involving strength and aggression. For example, many fighters claim that they perform better when they abstain from sex in the days leading up to a contest. Similarly, bodybuilding forums are full of debate on this topic and many claim they note a significant decrease in motivation to train at maximum intensity after sexual activity. It has been hypothesised that this may be due to a downregulation in testosterone production after sex; during orgasm the mineral zinc is released in the body and this is also a precursor for natural testosterone production in the body and may, therefore, provide some reasoning as to the experience of many trainees.   Key Takeaways The relationship between sex and workout performance will always be a complicated one. The effects of one on the other in terms of physical fitness and, in particular, mental wellbeing, are clear, but when it comes to actual performance this appears to be highly individual. We’d advise doing what feels best for you but not worrying too much about it. Instead, prioritise your nutrition and make sure you’re fuelling your workouts properly. While you’re here, why not take a look at the Innermost range? We’re proud to be completely transparent about the ingredients in our products and we always ensure they’re of the highest quality. Check us out, and be sure to get in touch if you have any questions! Read more