Does Weight Lifting Produce Bulky Women?
One of the main objectives of this blog, has been to educate people about health and fitness by drawing upon my experience of 21 years as a personal trainer in Austin, as well as a gym owner here for nearly a decade. I have written many posts and essays in an attempt to dispel the many blog entries
myths and urban legends surrounding the pursuit of better health and fitness, but it doesn’t always sink in. They are called urban legends and myths for a reason, and since they’ve been around so long, not everyone is easily convinced otherwise, despite science, common sense, and reason. One of the biggest is one I’ve written of previously and it deals with bulky women. It’s the notion that women will get bulky if they lift weights, especially heavy ones.
Before I offer the science and reasoning behind why this concept is ridiculous, let me pose a question to you, the reader. Have you ever seen a huge, ripped, bulky woman anywhere other than in bodybuilding? No, you haven’t, and in all the years as an Austin personal trainer, nor have I. The only type of bulkiness I see in women is the kind that’s induced by poor nutrition and a lack of regular exercise. The reason being, is that women simply don’t posses enough of the hormone testosterone in order to have that happen, even if they wanted to. Men, conversely, have much more testosterone than women, but they too don’t have enough naturally to achieve that huge ripped physique that some strive for, and others are repulsed by. That’s why bodybuilders use anabolic steroids. They will help you achieve that look if you have the right genetics, nutrition, and know how to train.
A longtime client pointed out an article in a woman’s health magazine offering fitness tips for the masses. In it, a woman had asked how to get long lean arms that are toned. The person replying wrote that 2 or 3 pound dumbbells are to be used to avoid bulking up the arm muscles and doing curls once or twice per week will achieve that look. This is quite off the mark, and for several reasons. Firstly, what if you don’t have long arms to begin with? Are doing light dumbbell curls once or twice per week going to give you long arms? This is physically and scientifically impossible. Another problem with the reply, is what about the tricep muscles? They comprise 2/3 of the arm’s musculature. If you don’t have toned tricep muscles, you won’t have toned arms, yet there’s no mention of that muscle group anywhere in the answer. They unfortunately, further propagate the myth that the heavy weight will lead to huge muscles and a lack of femininity, while this couldn’t be further from reality. Bulky women, those with an abundance of muscle, achieve that look by taking the hormone testosterone, just as their male counterparts do. Simply look at their faces, listen to their voices for proof of this. They look and sound manly. Testosterone is the male hormone which gives men the deep voice, the facial hair, etc.
One great reason for women to shrug off the notion that they will go from normal looking women to bulky women, is bone density. As I’ve written elsewhere, it’s vital as we age to maintain as much of our muscle mass as possible, as it falls off rapidly and leads to debilitation. Bone density levels, especially in women, drop off at fast rate as well. One great way to impede this process, is to lift weights. Study after study has demonstrated that consistent weight lifting by women will stave off bone density level decline. Furthermore, there are now multiple studies linking weight bearing exercise to the warding off of dementia.
Don’t believe every stereotypical fitness thing you read about bulky women, and don’t be afraid to lift weights. Being strong, healthy, and fit is a wonderful thing, and will help ensure you live a greater quality of life for years to come.
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Andy
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