Myth v. Fact: The Fear of Bulking Up–Why Are Women So Afraid To Lift Weights

Let’s just get this out of the way right now, it is relatively impossible to bulk as a female. Your body is incapable of generating that much muscle without the use of supplements, steroids, and hours per day of heavy lifting.

Many women step into the gym with the same assumptions. That weight lifting and resistance training will lead to a bulkier build. As a result, women will gravitate towards the cardio equipment, thinking that is the quickest avenue to burning off last nights margaritas.

If it’s a toned, slimmed physique women are looking for, then weight lifting and resistance training are essential. Most, if not all women, want the same end goal. The flat tummy and toned arms and legs. It is virtually impossible to achieve that by just doing cardio alone. To get the transformation women are looking for, it is best to actually hit weight training harder than it would be to specifically tackle the cardio equipment.

Hormones play a key role in bulking up. The key hormone utilized in muscle growth is testosterone. Yes, that is a male dominant hormone, but females also have testosterone. But because men typically have 10-20 times more testosterone than women, they are genetically more capable of putting on muscle weight and keeping it.

Another big deterrent of lifting is that it will make women look unfeminine. However, lifting weights will tone and tighten a woman’s body without the look of excessive muscle growth. Strength training will also make women more flexible, increase bone density, create better balance, better coordination, higher agility, power and mobility. Not to mention, sleep will improve and stress levels will drop.

When in the gym it is important to remember that as women continue to lift, their muscles will continue to burn calories even AFTER their lift. Yes, cardio burns more calories, but only in that moment. Weight lifting creates micro facial tears in your muscles that burn calories during recovery, as they try to repair themselves. This means that the body is literally burning calories while you drive home from the gym. Maybe try a workout that is higher in repetitions and lower in weight, or lower in repetitions and higher in weight. The goal is to tone and lean out. Either of those training techniques will help the body get there.

Weight training is the secret to women’s weight loss. Goals will be met quicker, bodies will look hotter, flexibility will increase, among so many more. Knock the stress, get better sleep, weight train. Let’s do this!