strength training for woman

There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.

Denis Waitley

I am a true believer in order for woman to lose weight, they have to participate in strength training. In most cases I train my female clients with compound movements (full body movements, e.g. squats with overhead press) and sometimes add instability to it (e.g. Bosu ball) which will involve the core in order to burn additional calories throughout the exercise, as well as strengthening the abdominals. However, throughout my Personal Training career, I get many remarks from female clients or potential clients that they don’t want to get bulky from weight training. They are also afraid  that if they stop weight training, the muscle will just turn into fat. Some also feel that cardio is really the only exercise needed to burn body fat. Well let me tell you, these are all female weight training myths and they are wrong.

Below we will discuss some of the most common female weight training myths out there and let you know the real deal.
Weight Training Makes You Bulky:
This is probably the most common weight training myth shared by women, but sorry, this is not correct. You see females do not produce as much testosterone as men, which is one of the main hormones in increasing muscle mass. Therefore, you cannot make huge muscle gains by adding some weights to your training schedule.
Are there women that do bulk up? Of course there are, and you are probably thinking about professional female body builders. Many of these women are on steroids and other performance drugs to give them their bulked appearance. Not only that, they possess the incredible work ethic it takes to build that much muscle on a female frame. Bulky women only look that way because they want to look that way.
Weight Training Makes You Stiff:
Contrary to popular demand, weight training can actually increase your flexibility. That is if you perform exercises through their complete range of motion. Exercises like dumbbell presses and chin ups stretch muscles at the bottom range of their motion. Therefore, you can increase your stretching capabilities by performing these types of exercises.
If You Stop Training Your Muscle Turns to Fat:
Muscle and fat are two completely different tissue types. The reason people feel this is a logical argument is that when people stop training they usually fall completely off track with their diet and cardio as well. This inactivity leads to a loss in muscle mass. A decrease in activity and an increase in bad food choices leads to fat storage. So in reality, you are not turning muscle into fat, you are decreasing your lean muscle mass while increasing your adipose tissue.
This leads us to our next myth:
Weight Training Turns Fat into Muscle
I have heard this one a number of times, and was one of a few reasons why I stayed away from weight training myself. This is also false based on the principles we just discussed above. A body transforms by gaining muscle through weight training. Fat is lost through a combination of diet and cardiovascular exercise. Once again, fat and muscle are two very different types of tissue and we cannot turn one into the other.
Weight Training Increases Your Chest Size:
I sure some women wanting larger breasts wish this weight training myth were true. Your breast tissue is composed completely of fatty tissue. Therefore, you could never increase your breast size. On the other hand, if your body fat percentage falls below 12%, your will actually decrease your breast size.
Strength Training Allows You to Eat Whatever You Want:
Another one I am sure all of us wish were true. But the same weight formula goes: calories in > calories out = weight gain ; calories in< calories out = weight loss. This is a myth centered around people with extremely high metabolism that it appears they can eat whatever they want without gaining weight. Does muscle help your burn more calories? Yes, but only 30-60 calories per pound of muscle. So if you lost 5 lbs of fat and gained 5 pounds of muscle, you could in theory eat 150-300 extra calories day.
Women Only Need Cardio or Light Weights:
A lot of women believe all they need is some elliptical or treadmill work to stay lean. This is far from the truth. What cardio does is it can actually reduce muscle mass. How?
Well you are working out and burning calories, but your body uses both fat and muscle to fuel your exercise. If you are not participating in a strength-training program, you will not be able to prevent muscle loss over time. The only way to obtain that "toned" look you want is by picking up some weights. And do not shy away from heavier weights. Muscle only builds through resistance. You will not get a toned look lifting 5lbs weights for months on end.
Your body works through progressive resistance. If the resistance is too light, then your muscles have no reason to progress or change.
I hope your have learned something about female weight training myths. Please feel free to contact me in regards to starting a strength training program. There are so many benefits to strength training. Keep in mind to have a solid nutritional program to support your strength training.
To make a long story short, weight training will not turn you into the Hulk, but it can help you get that slim and toned look that you desire.
Where you end up isn't the most important thing. It's the road you take to get there. The road you take is what you'll look back on and call your life.
Tim Wiley