Women, Weight Training, and the Fear of Getting “Big”

Many women tend to make a big mistake when they step foot into a gym. They assume that weightlifting and resistance training will result in them becoming “big” and bulky. As a result, they tend to only focus on cardio and spend most of their gym time on the treadmill trying to burn off the pizza from the night before.

Getting “big” like a man or a competitive body builder is a common concern among women, and has led many women to steer clear of the weight room and from resistance training in general. For those women avoiding the weight room, we’ve got news for you! If your goal is to be slim and toned with a flat stomach and nicely defined muscles, resistance training is going to be absolutely essential in achieving that end goal. So quiet your fears and remember:

Women can and should do weight lifting exercises if they want to shed body fat and achieve a sculpted and toned physique.

So if you’re one of those women just stuck on cardio, know that your current cardio routine is going to accomplish very little in terms of your end goal. Sure, you may burn a few hundred calories during the cardio workout but you won’t reshape how your body looks. A complete body transformation begins in the weight room.

And no, you won’t get bulky. In fact, lifting weights will actually achieve the opposite… And here’s why:

1. Female Testosterone Levels

You need not to worry about getting big because it’s the testosterone that is the magic ingredient of getting big and bulky. A woman simply does not have enough testosterone to make them bulk up like a man does. It’s science- Men have higher testosterone levels than women, and women have higher estrogen levels than men. This fact alone should calm a lot of your fears as testosterone is the primary muscle-building hormone in the body.

2. Female Dietary Habits

If you’re worried about bulking up like a female body builder, it’s important to keep in mind that dietary habits play a key role here. If your end goal is to bulk up and get “big” you’d obviously be consuming a massive amount of calories to purposefully gain weight, as these women do. Proper weight resistance training paired with a mindful diet of calories in versus calories out will result in the loss of fat and the fine sculpting of muscle. In order for your weight resistance training to really bulk you up, you’d have to force feed extra protein, eat excessive calories daily, add supplementation, AND lift heavy weights on a regular basis.

3. Weight Lifting Increases Your Metabolic Rates

Another reason why you don’t need to worry about getting big is that weight lifting actually increases your metabolic rate, aka you will burn more calories when you lift weight. This is because weight lifting creates tiny muscular tears throughout the body, meaning your body will expend a greater number of calories post-workout to repair those tiny tears. This repair process increases your overall calorie requirements. More calories burned, means less body fat for you.

4. Weight Lifting Results in Greater Muscle Definition

Weight lifting will result in an overall, sculpted muscle definition. Challenging yourself with the weight and lowering the reps is what will create the muscle definition you’re looking for when combined with a proper diet for fat loss.

In a nut shell,  do not fear weight training or heavy weights any longer! Weight training is the secret sauce to any woman’s weight loss and is what will help you achieve fitness goal of achieving a toned and sculpted physique.

Here’s the truth: When you lift heavy weights your muscles get STRONGER, not bigger. From our personal trainers in Durham… Push your body! You are stronger than you think!