'Lift Like a Girl,' a Women's Fitness Event Held Sept. 21

Lift Like a Girl will be held Sept. 21.
Lift Like a Girl will be held Sept. 21.

Lift Like a Girl is a free event that helps women be more comfortable with free weights, machine weights and creating workouts. This year's event is held 3-5 p.m. Thurs., Sept. 21 in the Strength Training & Conditioning Room at the Campus Rec Center and is free for UNL students and Campus Rec Members. General Public must pay a $10 facility fee. More than 600 females have been empowered to strength train through hands-on training and education at this annual for-women, by-women event.

Participants can choose a different workout or presentation led by female Campus Recreation staff during each 30-minute time slot, but do not need to attend the entire event. Offerings range from beginner to intermediate level. Pre-registration is recommended at http://go.unl.edu/likeagirl – the first 100 people to do so by Sept. 11 will receive a free event tank.

Lift Like a Girl is part of Campus Recreation's ongoing efforts to be an advocate for lifelong wellness. It was first launched three years ago under its former name, Purely Pink and has evolved each year to better meet the needs of females in the UNL community. This year, the workouts and presentations offered were designed based on feedback from the previous year.

A full event schedule is available at the link below, but 30-minute workouts include:

– 6 Movement Patterns –
Explore the six different movement patterns you should be incorporating into your daily workout routine: • push • pull • squat • bent and lift • rotational • single leg movements Attendees get a well-rounded workout using a variety of equipment available at Campus Recreation.

– Free Weights –
Participants will explore several lower and upper body movements using free weights. Emphasis will be on using correct form to avoid injury so this is a great class for beginners.

– HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) –
Use medicine balls and kettlebells to their full potential in this type of training that alternates short periods of intense exercise with less intense recovery periods. HIIT helps you lose weight but not muscle and can increase your metabolism.

– Barbell Training* –
Designed for those who use barbells in current workouts or have in the past, this session adds more complex movements to your toolbox. *Recommended for those who have been consistantly lifting for 6 months or more.

Half-hour presentations are also offered for attendees to learn how to program their own workout sessions, gain some technical knowledge and ask questions they may have. These sessions include:

– Programming 101 –
How often should I lift? Should I alternate upper/lower body? What type of movements do I include? How do I structure my workout based on my goals? Those leading this session will cover everything from exercise selection and order to rep and set ranges.

– The Big 3* –
There are three important lifts in resistance training: squat, bench and deadlift. All are multi-joint, compound movements that target the body’s largest muscle groups. Instructor will discuss the proper form of all three movements, the muscle groups involved, and how these exercises set the foundation for any well-rounded resistance training program. *Recommended for those who have been consistently lifting for 6 months or more.

– Fuel Your Workout –
Nutrition is a major component to meet goals. Discover the best foods for pre-workout, post-workout, and everything in between. Campus Rec’s nutrition team will walk through two post-workout recipes proven to help refuel and recover after a workout. Then, create a pre-workout option for later.

– Q+A –
Come with any and all questions about exercise. Trainers discuss everything from gym etiquette to what types of exercise might be best.

Questions? Contact Kelsey at kwhittaker2@unl.edu or 402-472-6982.

More details at: http://go.unl.edu/likeagirl