What happens when women stop lifting weights? According to U.S. Navy veteran Katie Salerni, it's not just about muscle.

In one of her candid Instagram videos, the Navy vet and fitness coach Katie Salerni highlighted the risk of declining bone health among women who avoid strength training.

"Strength training will save your life, strength training will make you happier, strength training will make your bones better... I just can't think of any reasons why women wouldn't wanna strength train."

Salerni knows the benefits well enough. She's been weight-lifting for years, even winning gold at the USAPL Collegiate National Championships and setting the American Junior Bench Press record with a 145kg (320 lbs) bench press in 2019.

And she's not wrong. According to Martha Gulati, the Director at the Davis Women Heart Center at Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, there was a direct relation of strength training and cardiovascular.

"What surprised us the most was the fact that women who do muscle strengthening had a reduction in their cardiovascular mortality by 30%. We don't have many things that reduce mortality in that way."

Moreover, strong muscles were seen to help reduce joint pain. As per Todd Wheeler, a physical therapist at MedStar Health Physical Therapy, "If joints could talk, they would say, 'It's not my fault I'm irritated. Listen to your body and gradually increase intensity over time."

Katie Salerni reiterates that strength training doesn't make you bulky

In another candid Instagram video, Salerni criticized the idea that lifting weights makes women “too bulky.” According to her, many people attribute a bulky appearance to weightlifting when, in reality, body composition plays an important role.

If someone wants to look slimmer and have defined arms, they should reduce overall body fat rather than avoiding strength training altogether.

She encouraged women to think about the long-term benefits of strength training by stating:

"Do you want to be able to lift your grandkids when you're 65?... Heavy bench day is calling you. She's calling you."

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Written by

Ruwa Javed

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar