There is not a girl in any fitness center who hasn't wondered at least once during a workout, 'Should women lift weights or will it make us big and bulky?' This is one of the most commonly asked questions in the fitness industry and today's article will help you to get to the bottom of it once and for all.
If you are female it is highly likely that you have already encountered several different opinions on this very topic, resulting in you heading online for a more scientific verdict.
If you are old enough to remember the 1970's you will know the origins of this famous fitness myth. This all started during the glory days of bodybuilding. With massive, overly muscled guys like Arnold Schwarzenegger gracing stages around the world it's no wonder that most women were put off the idea of training with heavy barbells and dumbbells. Thanks to the thriving home circuit workout market during the 1980's VHS boom, the notion that women should stick to cardiovascular exercise was set in place.
Why did this happen? It was like adding 2 and 2, but getting 5. People presumed that if you touched weights you would automatically end up looking like a bodybuilder, because they famously training regularly with weights. of course, now we know differently, but this myth still exists in gyms today. If it were that easy to pack on lean size, every guy in your local gym would have the Rambo physique.
There have been many scientific studies performed on male and female exercise enthusiasts over the last four decades which confirm that women should indeed be performing regular resistance training for a number of important reasons. They are listed below:
* If you only perform cardiovascular workouts you will not build the lean physique most women want to achieve. Resistance training plays a major role here.
* Not only will your body build more lean muscle, you'll actually burn off more fat in the process.
* Your metabolism will rise dramatically, which is a good thing for those who are trying to burn off calories and drop pounds.
* Resistance training has similar fat burning and lean muscle building effects to high intensity interval training.
While those 4 points are all great, there is one major concern which almost every woman has. Is it going to make you look bulky? The answer is no. You cannot achieve a bodybuilder physique without living a bodybuilding lifestyle, which means learning what supplements to take and how to structure your diet to match your goal. Female bodybuilders find it even harder, because they need to supplement with testosterone boosting products as they don't have enough natural testosterone in their system to support as much muscle growth as men.
That's a lifestyle you certainly couldn't live by accident. Unless you are deliberately trying to look like a bodybuilder, you will not look like one.
Should women lift weights? Absolutely. In fact it is one of the best ways to get in shape even if your overall goal is weight loss. The myth that ladies should stick to cardio is as old as time itself, it can be one of most confusing aspects of fitness alongside learning what supplements to take or which how many times per week you need to work out for maximum results.
If you are female it is highly likely that you have already encountered several different opinions on this very topic, resulting in you heading online for a more scientific verdict.
If you are old enough to remember the 1970's you will know the origins of this famous fitness myth. This all started during the glory days of bodybuilding. With massive, overly muscled guys like Arnold Schwarzenegger gracing stages around the world it's no wonder that most women were put off the idea of training with heavy barbells and dumbbells. Thanks to the thriving home circuit workout market during the 1980's VHS boom, the notion that women should stick to cardiovascular exercise was set in place.
Why did this happen? It was like adding 2 and 2, but getting 5. People presumed that if you touched weights you would automatically end up looking like a bodybuilder, because they famously training regularly with weights. of course, now we know differently, but this myth still exists in gyms today. If it were that easy to pack on lean size, every guy in your local gym would have the Rambo physique.
There have been many scientific studies performed on male and female exercise enthusiasts over the last four decades which confirm that women should indeed be performing regular resistance training for a number of important reasons. They are listed below:
* If you only perform cardiovascular workouts you will not build the lean physique most women want to achieve. Resistance training plays a major role here.
* Not only will your body build more lean muscle, you'll actually burn off more fat in the process.
* Your metabolism will rise dramatically, which is a good thing for those who are trying to burn off calories and drop pounds.
* Resistance training has similar fat burning and lean muscle building effects to high intensity interval training.
While those 4 points are all great, there is one major concern which almost every woman has. Is it going to make you look bulky? The answer is no. You cannot achieve a bodybuilder physique without living a bodybuilding lifestyle, which means learning what supplements to take and how to structure your diet to match your goal. Female bodybuilders find it even harder, because they need to supplement with testosterone boosting products as they don't have enough natural testosterone in their system to support as much muscle growth as men.
That's a lifestyle you certainly couldn't live by accident. Unless you are deliberately trying to look like a bodybuilder, you will not look like one.
Should women lift weights? Absolutely. In fact it is one of the best ways to get in shape even if your overall goal is weight loss. The myth that ladies should stick to cardio is as old as time itself, it can be one of most confusing aspects of fitness alongside learning what supplements to take or which how many times per week you need to work out for maximum results.
About the Author:
Next step: Russ Howe PTI answers the question should women lift weights in the gym today. He also teaches you what supplements to take to suit your target physique in his exclusive new material which is out right now.
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