EXQUISITE PHYSIQUES: WEIGHT TRAINING FOR WOMEN

I was speaking with a client (let’s call her Bec) yesterday that I have been working with now for months and months. Bec is stronger, fitter, leaner, more toned and looks better than ever before - she actually pulls off her favourite size 8 black dress from when she was 18 BETTER than what she did then.

Bec was retelling a conversation she had with a colleague regarding women and weight training - the old “doing heavy weights makes women bulky” chestnut. I am often surprised by how many people (even trainers) still believe this to be true. I am here to tell you that as a woman, working out with weights, including the heavier ones, WILL NOT make you look bulky!

FACT

Females do NOT and CANNOT produce as much testosterone as males (the main hormone responsible for increasing muscle mass). So, straight off the bat, no matter how dedicated, determined or how much wonder-woman like strength you possess, your genetics and hormones simply will NOT allow you to grow into a bulky, man like beefcake, or anything close for that matter. But what about those freak show looking ladies I see on tv in bodybuilding competitions I hear you ask?

FACT

They are on Anabolic Steroids! They have also meticulously dieted and deprived themselves of every ounce of fat to within an inch of their lives to appear more muscular and, within a week either side of the photos being taken they appear as fuller much more feminine physiques. Bodies like that are NOT created by accident, nor by simply working out with weights on a daily basis!

As a female heavy weight training will not only tone your body, giving you a more athletic and attractive shape eg: lift your bum, build nice lines and shape your shoulders/arms/back/legs/stomach EVERYWHERE as well as FIRMING all of these areas - think flabby thighs to slender, toned thighs and legs that look awesome in a killer pair of those high heels you ladies like to wear. J

It is a proven fact that working out with hard and heavy weights (the harder the better) actually increases your EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) more than cardio!! What this means is that AFTER exercise (on your way home, to bed WHATEVER you are doing after you train) your metabolism is increased as it repairs cells, returns hormone and carb levels to normal, and returns your body to its resting state, you are burning many more calories than you normally would. This is commonly referred to as the “after burn”.

If its not enough that heavy weight training will help you burn extra “bonus” calories after you train, working out with weights builds muscle (well duh?) but by adding lean muscle to your body you will automatically increase and speed up your metabolism for every minute of every day from that moment on (as long as you maintain the muscle) – yes EVEN while you are asleep!

Heavy weight training will also make you stronger. I often train women who were previously “cardio queens” – women that are lean and quite fit, but it wasn’t until they started heavy weight training that they noticed they began to feel strong when playing with the kids, working, shopping, climbing into their houses when locked out - a never ending list of day to day activities that all female weight trainers agree help women feel more confident and empowered in their bodies… LITERALLY!

So, is it really any wonder why I am so troubled when I hear the same myth again and again suggesting women and heavy weights = bulk he-women?

I must admit that it was with GREAT pleasure (it actually made my day) to hear Bec finish our conversation yesterday by describing herself as a “total convert” to heavy weights.

See for yourself, These are photos of some of my clients at PURE health clubs that all do predominantly (over 90% of ALL exercise) as HEAVY WEIGHT training. BULKY? MAN-LIKE? I think not, I see toned, feminine, strong and sexy as a better description….decide for yourself!