With more and more women trying out weight training, its time to debunk the myths about ‘getting big’ from weight training.
Women and weight training
There is a common misconception from many women that weight training makes you bulky. I understand your concern, you want to be toned and lean not big and bulky like a bodybuilder (although if you want to be a bodybuilder all power to ya!)
Lucky for you your fear is irrational. To get big you have to do more than just train weights You have to do hours a day of training, eat an enormous amount of calories to sustain muscle growth, and even then you are not going to look like Arnie.
As an example, here are a few photos of the girls that compete in the CrossFit games. These are elite athletes and have incredible strength! They do CrossFit for hours a day.
Sprint Chipper Event CrossFit Games 2013
Camille LaBlanc at the 2014 Canada East CrossFit Regional. Camille was crowed the fittest woman alive this year at the 2014 CrossFit Games.
1st, 2nd and 3rd Individual Women at 2013 games
Now these women are certainly not unmuscular, and compared to the average lady I’m sure you’d say they definitely have muscles, but they are also incredible athletes.
They can lift 100kg over their head, they have endurance, speed, and power, they can do 50 pull-ups without a break. You get the point they are world-class athletes and they build their bodies to perform optimally. So, of course, they are going to be strong and have muscle.
But, I would argue that they are clearly not like this:
Which is what I believe most women think will happen to them if they lift weights!
The CrossFit games women are the top of the top. Unless you want to be in the CrossFit games you are unlikely to put on even 1/10th of the muscle these women have!
And it is lean, sculpted awesome muscle! Your body has 10 times less testosterone than a man so to gain muscle like these bodybuilding women you would need to use enhancement supplements and a very specific diet. It just does not happen naturally.
The women in bodybuilding should be applauded for being able to build such muscle as it is incredibly hard for them to create such a physique.
Most women that do weight training every day see an awesome result, a leaner fitter body, toned and shaped!
There is also some research that suggests women view weightlifting as a male activity and they feel self-conscious going into the ‘male section’ of the gym. They are fearful of lifting weights in front of men and being judged on their bodies.
This is quite a problem as strength training is particularly beneficial to women.
Weight training can:
Decrease your risk of osteoporosis, a very debilitating disease prevalent among women due to the lack of weight training they do,
Increases your metabolism due to an increased ratio of muscle to fat. The more lean muscle you have the more calories you burn while you rest!
Women who do weights are twice as likely to lose weight and stick to an exercise plan than women who do just cardio
Increase your bone density and muscle resilience, which will decrease your frailness in old age, protect joints from injury and maintain flexibility and balance.
Boosts your energy levels and make living easier as you are stronger and able to move around better
If you are looking to achieve any of these benefits weight training is for you! If you still love your cardio why not try Tone Athletica? We combine weight training with circuit and cardio training to give you a balanced, intense are a rewarding workout!
Tone Athletica offers an all-female environment, which doesn't intimidate like other sections of male gyms!
We offer a gorgeous community with encouragement and empowerment to women all shapes and sizes!
It doesn't matter what your goal is, or how long it takes you, we will get you there and support you all the way!
We want to support women to teach them how to look after their bodies, through great training, sound nutrition and positive lifestyle
Check out our 2-week free trial here:
