Let's Put this Myth to Rest

WOMEN:  It's time to put those cute pink dumbbells that weigh less than your purse down and start lifting heavy objects.  Enough is enough.  I hear it time and time again from a countless number of women who are afraid to lift weights in fear that they will start to look big, bulky, and manly.  I get it!  I used to be one of those women who feared the weight room because I didn't want to look like the stereotypical female bodybuilder.  So, I would spend hours a day doing cardio and lifting minimally with light weights…because everyone always said "use light weights with high reps."  Needless to say, I never got the results I wanted.  BUT WHY???  I soon started lifting heavy with my husband, and he showed me a whole new realm in the fitness world.  I was soon convinced that lifting heavy was the way to attain the goals I was pursuing…the mirror doesn't lie!  Well, let's put this myth to rest once and for all.  Women, you will not look like a man if you lift heavy.  And men…don't think your off the hook with this post…you contribute to this myth every bit as much as women out there do.

First of all,  lifting heavy weights helps build and maintain bone density and helps fight off osteoporosis.  I like to think of it as adding to my savings account for years from now.  What I do now will ultimately help me when I get older.  You hear about all the drugs that companies are trying to sell you regarding bone health…go lift some heavy weights and you most likely will be just fine.

Now let's get this out of the way right now…men and women both have testosterone and estrogen in their bodies.  Yes, women, you have testosterone circulating in your body, and men have estrogen.  Whats different though are the levels we have.  Men naturally have higher testosterone levels than women…so naturally, they are stronger, leaner, and more muscular.  Women have about 5-10% the amount of testosterone than what men have.  Naturally, it is impossible for a woman to get big and bulky, unless of course you are eating like crap and dumping calorie dense food foods down your throat.  Let's not forget that you can also stay fat by not eating…your body goes into survival mode and stores fat.  As women train, their testosterone levels rise…but so do their estrogen levels, making you a much more healthy and well balanced woman -- physically and psychologically.  Not to mention that the rise in testosterone levels helps repair muscles. 

Even though women's testosterone levels rise while training, it still does not rise high enough to get big and bulky like a man.  It is physically impossible.  There are those rare women, however, perhaps about 1% that are just genetically gifted and build muscle quicker.  My hat goes off to you if you are one of the 1%, chances are you are not.  Most women are just not that genetically gifted.   The problem is your PERCEPTION.  The pump is a real thing.  You train a muscle group, and boom, after your train, you are a little more muscular than normal.  Its called "the pump".  Its not just something that guys talk about on Instagram.  Pretend you do a bicep curl, or a tricep dip…blood rushes to that muscle, and the muscle looks bigger and feels fuller.  However, you do not stayed "pumped" 24/7…that would be extremely uncomfortable.  So even though you feel bigger and bulkier that moment, it will go away.

"But I just want to get toned…"  That "toned" look that women are craving essentially means lower body fat and muscle definition.  The way you get muscle definition is through building bigger muscles.  The way you build bigger muscles is through lifting heavy weights.

If you are new to the weight room, try a couple light sets of the exercise to feel what the movement should feel like and to perfect form.   Then increase your weight.  You want to always maintain proper form regardless of how heavy you lift.  Essentially, muscle takes more calories to maintain than fat does.  So the more lean muscle mass you build, the more fat you burn.  The body becomes more efficient and burning fat and losing fat becomes much easier. In fact, lifting heavy burns twice as many calories post workout than lifting light weight.  It increases metabolic rate.  In addition, being a cardio bunny and spending hours a day on the treadmill tends to eat up muscle mass for energy to carry you through the workout.