Weight Training and Pregnancy
Cassandra and the newest addition to her family.
Have you wondered if it is safe to lift weights during pregnancy? Read what Cassandra from MrAndMrsWorkout.com says about this hot topic. To learn more about Cassandra and her family, follow her on Instagram (@mrandmrsworkout), Twitter (@mrandmrsworkout), and Facebook.
Hi I’m Cassandra — a certified personal trainer from the UK, who is also certified to train pre/post-natal clients. I am also a mother of two, and recently delivered the newest addition to our family in June. Fitness is in the home for me 24/7. My husband and I share our fitness journey on our blog and social pages (Mr and Mrs Workout). We love sharing our fitness experiences and fit tips and how we fit fitness in with family and life.
I had always been athletic at school, and as I got older, I managed to keep up with a routine of a few gym sessions sporadically. After meeting my lovely husband we got married some years later and what comes next? Yes, babies!
Cassandra continued weight training during pregnancy.
During my first pregnancy, like many mothers I was eager and anxiously waiting for the birth of my first child. So as most mothers do — I slowed waaaaaaaaay down in fear of doing anything to hurt my unborn child. I enjoyed my pregnancy working in the city and (ashamed to say) ate far too much chocolate and sweets during this time. To cut a long story short, I gained quite a few pounds, and my recovery after labour was very tough.
I vowed I would never to be this out of shape again and began my journey of being a fit mama for life.
My passion in particular is to lift weights — it’s enjoyable and keeps me trim. Being trained in pre and postnatal fitness I knew I could continue to lift weights and stay strong through my second pregnancy.
It is important to maintain proper form while weight training during pregnancy.
I often get asked this question -Can I lift weights whilst pregnant?
The answer is …YES. Now, if you’re new to weight training — pregnancy is not the time to start practicing your best clean and jerks making PB’s on squats and leg presses 
If the doctor has given you a clean bill of health and the OK, most pregnant women usually can continue the same activities during pregnancy by using common sense and making appropriate modifications.
If you haven’t really worked out before, but you’re healthy and your doctor has giving you the “all clear,” you can add resistance training to your program if it’s a basic and light program.
Here are some basics for the yummy mummies-to-be that want to start adding a resistance workout to their routine.
- Exercise 3-5 per week with resistance and cardio
- Train each muscle group 2-3 time a week with sufficient rest days in between each workout to allow for recovery
- 1-3 sets of each exercise allow enough rest between each set to recovery keep the range high at 12-15
- Think about training all the major muscle groups. Legs chest back shoulders etc maybe pick about 8-10 exercises. You can do this as full body session or split into lower body upper body etc
- ALWAYS use correct form and lift weight in a slow controlled manner
- NEVER Hold your breath when performing any exercise
- Exercise in a well-ventilated room and drink lots of water
Its important to listen to your body and baby during pregnancy, so if at any time you feel unwell whilst working out. stop immediately.
I very much recommend people adding strength training into their fit pregnancy I did so all the way though my second pregnancy with ‘pregnant with muscle plan.’ I didn’t gain any unwanted weight and kept a nice amount of muscle I had earned previously. The most amazing thing was the recovery. I felt amazingly well and was up and about in no time which allowed me to enjoy my new beautiful baby more comfortably — such a stark contrast to my first labour recovery.
Once again add weight training to your program but very light if you did not partake in in this activity before baby. If you’re an experienced lifter, modify your previous workouts as you progress through each trimester.
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