Women … lifting heavy will not make you “bulk up”
All women NEED to know this ... Lifting is good for your body, good for your muscles, good for your bones, good for your overall health, and it WILL NOT make you look masculine.
It’s a sad scene when you walk into most gyms and see almost all the weights taken up by the men and the majority of cardio equipment claimed by the women. If you’ve never noticed this before, check it out next time. It typically is the case. As a Personal Trainer and Gym Owner, I know how crucial it is for women to lift heavy. In addition to simply staying strong, heavy lifting is one of the only ways to increase bone density. We all know that women are at the highest risk of osteoporosis as time goes on. Taking calcium supplements is still good, but nothing makes bones stronger like lifting weights. In fact, there is a specific biological process that makes your body lay down more bone material in response to the kind of stress that we only get from heavy resistance training. Lifting heavy will increase your lean muscle mass which makes you look lean, not bulky!
Many women are afraid of “bulking up” like a man if they lift weights. This typically leads to ignoring weight lifting altogether. But it is not true! Women can do absolutely anything a man can do, right? Not when it comes to gaining muscle size. The easy answer … No testosterone = No bulk.
“No” testosterone is not exactly true, because women do have low levels. Testosterone and human growth hormone are the two major hormones involved in building muscle. Everyone has them both, but men have way more testosterone than women. In general, women have about 15-20% less concentration of testosterone in their body than men do. Without that extra testosterone, women simply can’t (yes I mean can’t, as women are biologically unable to) build the big muscles like guys. It’s science, so stop worrying.
Sports scientists have known for a long time that it is possible to manipulate (to an extent) the body’s hormonal response with different kinds of training protocols. For instance, a heavy training protocol increases serum testosterone concentration. Yes, you read that correctly! Testosterone levels will increase in both genders following a heavy resistance training session, but women are unable to build the type of muscle men do simply because of their genetic make up. Males utilize their main sex hormone (Testosterone) to repair and build bigger muscles. Females can't grow new muscle tissue to the same degree, since they have lower levels of testosterone and higher levels of estrogen and progesterone. A woman can do the same exact workout as a man, including lower reps with heavier weight and will NEVER have to worry about getting bulky.
So … What about female bodybuilders? Even after reading this, some women are still skeptical. They can search the internet to find a female who they consider “Bulky” or “looks more like a man’s body” to them. These pictures are typically unnatural female bodybuilders who use some sort of performance enhancing substance to achieve that level of masculinity. To become a professional woman bodybuilder, many have to take anabolic androgenic steroids, testosterone, and other ergogenic aids to even achieve such a body. As a female, and using additional testosterone and anabolic steroids, you are supplementing your body with more of the primary male sex hormones and chemically enhanced substances, which have been proven by research to increase muscle mass and strength at a much faster pace than can be naturally achieved. So yes, some women choose to become more masculine and use chemicals and male hormones.....but that degree of muscularity in women doesn't come by just lifting heavy weights.
You can’t “tone” your muscle
The word that most women use to describe their fitness goals is “toning.” They say “I want to tone up my arms” or “make my stomach more tone.” Muscle tone, also known as muscle tonus or residual muscle tension, is an unconscious low level contraction of your muscles while they are at rest. Essentially, muscle tone is what makes your muscles still feel somewhat firm while you are resting and not intentionally tensing them.
I want you to know there is NO SUCH THING as “toning” a muscle or a specific area of your body. No one can change the shape of their muscles; that’s determined by genetics. When women say they want to “tone” something up, what they are actually saying is that they want to lose some body fat, build some muscle, and get tighter and firmer.
Any knowledgeable personal trainer knows that the major key to achieving a tight, lean, firm physique, is sound nutritional practices. Six-pack abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym, so to speak. Furthermore, in order to build muscle, resistance training loads need to be heavy, rest periods between 60-90 seconds, and the rep range for each exercise around 6-12. Consult your trainer if you should be closer to 6 or closer to 12.
Using light weights and performing higher reps will not benefit anyone if their goal is to gain muscle and strength. That type of training is good for increasing muscle endurance and Type I (or “slow-twitch”) muscle fibers, but it’s not useful to build more muscle and get stronger.
Lifting heavy makes you look the opposite of masculine!! Don’t think that just because you lift heavy and workout hard that you’ll end up looking like a professional woman bodybuilder, because 99.9% of the time, you won’t. Remaining a natural athlete while utilizing a very healthy, nutrient-dense diet, proper supplementation, proper exercise programs and recovery techniques will help you achieve a lean, firm, tight, athletic body. What lifting heavy will leave you with is increased confidence, cognitive clarity, elevated mood, attractive curves, and a new outlook in the weight room!
To clarify "lifting heavy", I'm referring to keeping your reps in the 6-12 range (consult your trainer for exact number), reaching muscular failure (unable to perform another complete repetition) by the final rep of the set. Also, when lifting heavy resistance and keeping reps lower, rest periods need to be increased, to fully regenerate ATP to its highest potential. When lifting a lighter resistance for more reps, around 40-50% of your 1-rep max for 20 reps, rest periods can be kept to around 20-30 seconds. When lifting upward towards 75-90% of your 1RM, rest periods need to be extended to 2-5 minutes or your strength will be heavily compromised during the next set attempt.
So Ladies … break out of your norm! Do not be intimidated by the weight floor. You have been staring at the results you want from the cardio area this whole time!
Remember, no two people are exactly alike and you should eat & exercise for your specific goals!