There are a few fitness myths which are almost as old as fitness itself. One of those topics refers to the question should women lift weights and today we will answer this for you beyond all doubt.
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.
This myth originates from the late 1970's, when the sport of bodybuilding suddenly burst into the mainstream and every guy wanted to build bigger arms as quickly as possible. Seeing huge guys such as Arnold Schwarzenegger lifting heavy dumbbells for set after set was a great inspiration for most guys to aspire to, but it had the opposite effect on ladies. The general assumption was that ladies should only do resistance training if they wanted to look like a bodybuilder. The 1980's VHS era made this situation worse, telling ladies that they needed to stick to long, drawn out cardio workouts and avoid resistance training completely.
Why? The belief was that if a woman touched a heavy weight she would grow big muscles and create a bodybuilder physique. Of course, if you have ever known somebody who has taken on a bodybuilding lifestyle you will know that this belief is pure nonsense. Bodybuilding is really a lifestyle and it's not surprising if a bodybuilder takes offence when they overhear somebody saying they don't want to touch a heavier dumbbell because they don't want to get huge. If only it were that easy.
Written below are a few of the major benefits to using resistance workouts as part of your fitness routine. Back in the early days a lot of opinions were based on very little evidence because it was all still relatively new, whereas nowadays we have the massive benefit of hindsight and years of scientific advancements.
* Resistance training is responsible for strengthening and toning your muscles.
* 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.
A lot of thought has to go into that type of lifestyle. It's not something you need to worry about, as it certainly cannot happen without deliberately aiming for it.
So what is the final verdict? Should women lift weights or should they avoid them? Of course, every lady who wants to lose weight or get leaner should really be performing resistance training at least a couple of times each week. Alongside learning what supplements to take this is probably one of the biggest sticky subjects in gyms around the world. Now you know the facts.
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.
This myth originates from the late 1970's, when the sport of bodybuilding suddenly burst into the mainstream and every guy wanted to build bigger arms as quickly as possible. Seeing huge guys such as Arnold Schwarzenegger lifting heavy dumbbells for set after set was a great inspiration for most guys to aspire to, but it had the opposite effect on ladies. The general assumption was that ladies should only do resistance training if they wanted to look like a bodybuilder. The 1980's VHS era made this situation worse, telling ladies that they needed to stick to long, drawn out cardio workouts and avoid resistance training completely.
Why? The belief was that if a woman touched a heavy weight she would grow big muscles and create a bodybuilder physique. Of course, if you have ever known somebody who has taken on a bodybuilding lifestyle you will know that this belief is pure nonsense. Bodybuilding is really a lifestyle and it's not surprising if a bodybuilder takes offence when they overhear somebody saying they don't want to touch a heavier dumbbell because they don't want to get huge. If only it were that easy.
Written below are a few of the major benefits to using resistance workouts as part of your fitness routine. Back in the early days a lot of opinions were based on very little evidence because it was all still relatively new, whereas nowadays we have the massive benefit of hindsight and years of scientific advancements.
* Resistance training is responsible for strengthening and toning your muscles.
* 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.
A lot of thought has to go into that type of lifestyle. It's not something you need to worry about, as it certainly cannot happen without deliberately aiming for it.
So what is the final verdict? Should women lift weights or should they avoid them? Of course, every lady who wants to lose weight or get leaner should really be performing resistance training at least a couple of times each week. Alongside learning what supplements to take this is probably one of the biggest sticky subjects in gyms around the world. Now you know the facts.
About the Author:
About the author: Russ Howe PTI answers the question should women lift weights in the gym today. He also shows you what supplements to take to suit your goal in his latest new material which is available online.