Common Misconceptions of Weight Training for Women
When I was in high school I was afraid to lift weights because I thought I would bulk up. Now that I am in the fitness industry I speak with women every day who too are afraid to lift because of a fear of “bulking up”. This is just one misconception that women have about weight training. I hope to help squash the myths and reveal to you the truth and benefits of pumping iron!
Here are the myths:
Misconception #1: I will bulk up if I lift weights
This is one of the most common misconceptions about weight training. We’ll explore what really happens when you lift and if you’ve never learned about weight training, you might be surprised.
Misconceptions #2: All I really need to do is “cardio”
Cardio is great but weight lifting will help burn fat, increase strength and help with bone mass.
Misconceptions #3: Really I don’t need to worry about lifting until I’m older
We start losing bone mass early. We will explore the realities of osteoporosis and how to begin taking preventative steps now.
Myth #1: I will bulk up if I lift weights
A few days ago I was at my studio and I was talking to a lady who was asking me about different exercises she can do to get stronger. As we were talking she said, “I’m just so afraid I’m going to bulk up.” I laughed and told her I was just about to write about that very topic. I have been trying to find the source of this wrong thinking and have come to a dead end. What I did find is that it is a common belief that I (with the help of many resources) hope to shed some light on. I am naming this phenomenon the Schwartzenneger syndrome.
Schwartzeneeger syndrome
We see body builders on television, on magazine covers and occasionally at the gym usually with a layer of shinny grease (a.k.a baby oil) and we think to ourselves, “I can barely fit into my pants now, if I lift weights- forget it!” Dr. Gary Hunter in an article for the American College of Sports Medicine explains,
“Although women can definitely increase muscle size, it should be understood that there is little chance of a woman becoming a behemoth and ending up with a body like Arnold Schwartzenegger. Without drug use or some very specialized training is undertaken for many years, women who resistance train normally just become very fit looking.”[1]
Dr. Hunter goes on to explain the physiological differences between men and women and how that limits our mass making potential.
“During maturation, women develop much less muscle mass than men. This means that an untrained woman has fewer muscle cells than an untrained man. This is especially the case for the shoulders and arms. Most if not all muscle growth in an adult occurs through increases in size of existing muscle cells, so the total potential for growth in a woman is less than in a man…”
This is great news for the woman who is afraid to pick up weights. God has designed us so that the potential for “bulking up” is almost non-existent without the help of an outside stimulant. We are also designed differently. Some of us are short, round, narrow, lean, broad, and tall. With that in mind, I would caution you not to have an unrealistic goal for “fit looking”. This post is meant to encourage you to lift weights not because you might become “fit looking” but because it’s beneficial for your body. Before I talk about the benefits I find it necessary to debunk this myth. In the next few days I’ll share with you the benefits of weight training specifically for women.
Note: I do not know Dr. Hunter personally and cannot/do not endorse him nor his writings.
[1]WOMEN AND RESISTANCE TRAINING, The Right Program Brings Results for Females Who Train, Hunter, Gary R, Ph.D., CSCS, FACSM, ACSM, Fall 2002