I was 8 weeks pregnant (and had no clue) practicing deep 70 kilo squats. This was my last heavy squat until I started to get very sick for the next 2 months. I can't wait to squat heavy again !
I mainly get 2 types of responses when I share heavy lifting videos and both of them are telling me to stop lifting because I will hurt myself / baby or stop lifting because it will cause harm in the long run. Scientifically speaking, for an educated and experienced lifter - lifting while pregnant can do nothing but benefit the body. Let me explain
1. INJURY is not possible when you engage your core muscles which include abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. This is done by holding a stomach vacuum and kegel - something a lifter is supposed to do since first learning to lift.
2. Holding in your core protects you from lower back injury - even when you are not pregnant your lifting form includes a powerful core engagement which you should have been practicing.
3. Lifting and training muscles during pregnancy help with the stretching, relaxing and elongation of ligaments which are already taking place in your body due to pregnancy. It further speeds up recovery after delivery.
4. Your body will respond to the training you give it. It it not possible to build lean muscle mass during pregnancy but the training boosts your mitochondrial health, balances hormones and improves your DNA.
Each and every body is different, if you are new to lifting then keep it safe and dont try anything new. Every pregnant women needs to practice doing stomach vacuums and kegels. It is essential for pelvic floor muscle strength, recovery and performance during delivery.
Ps, Dad yes I did do lots of yoga warm ups and lift light only twice a week .
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#motherly #pregnancy
