Bulk Up To Tone Up: The Truth About Weight Lifting For Women
There is a direct relationship between the body we want and the amount of muscle we have and so this article by Maje Ayida, talks about why you need to scale up on your barbells.
Most women want to loose weight and look good, but often balk when you try to introduce them to resistance training and weights. One of the first questions they ask when you suggest it is ‘will I bulk up?’ The answer is simple, NO. You want your body to look better, right? Well sculpting a great-looking body takes commitment to a programme that combines a nutrient packed diet with cardiovascular training and resistance work out.
Ditch the fear of bulk and the idea that it is only okay for males, because in reality, women get the same benefits as men do from lifting weights. Yes, you will gain muscle, but not like a man (remove the image of female bodybuilders from your mind, that is all steroid assisted), instead you will become toned and shapely. Since it is impossible for women to gain muscles like men, sans steroids of course, then they do not have to train any differently from men! So ladies, to gain muscle that will improve your shape and curves, you have to lift heavier weights.
This means instead of doing endless reps with tiny pink weights, as recommended in some media, you need to lift some heavy weights and really challenge yourself. Don’t get me wrong, high rep sets (15-20 reps) do have some benefits, it is optimal to getting the shape you want.
Still not convinced? Please don’t tune out like some women do when you try explaining that they can workout like a man. The erroneous belief is that because ladies only desire ‘toning exercises’ and ‘sculpting workouts’ and not muscles, they can get away with lighter weights! Well the truth is muscle tone happens only when you have actually built up some muscle, after which you go ahead to lose enough fat to make it visible. Muscle is muscle, it is no different for women, and there are workouts that build it and those that don’t.
Therefore, if you want to look toned and defined, firm, lean and athletic, while remaining completely feminine and sexy, you will need to build some muscle. The very thing you are afraid of is what is preventing you from achieving the body you want. The good news however is that you don’t have to lift hundreds of pounds on every exercise like a man would, but you do have to gradually challenge yourself and push to lift heavier weights over time. This is called “Progressive Overload’.
Here are a few exercises you can use as a base for your workouts:
Deadlifts:
Deadlifts are a full body exercise, meaning it stimulates just about every muscle in the body. It hits the legs, back, traps, abs, obliques and are a must for building a fully developed body.
Squats:
Squats are perhaps the most effective exercise you can do for overall leg development. Free-weight barbell squats are a compound exercise that hits the entire upper leg, quads, hamstrings and glutes. Like deadlifts, if you don’t squat you are selling yourself short, because they are a must for sexy, toned legs.
Lunges:
These are great for targeting the glutes, hamstrings, and quads. They help tighten up your legs and butt and give you the curves you want.
Pull-Ups:
Pull-ups work the muscles of the back, biceps and forearms. Most gyms have assisted pull-up machines, which allow you to do pull-ups with less than your body-weight.
Dips:
Dips work the muscles of the chest, shoulders and triceps. They are a great exercise for overall upper body development, especially the shoulders and triceps (think of the excess fat under your arms).
However, I recommend you consult a quality trainer and do plenty of online research before embarking on your body-sculpting journey, and as already stated, women need to lift heavy, challenging weights in order to gain muscle. The reason lifting heavy weights will not cause women to get big and bulky like men is because they produce a fraction of the testosterone that men do. Remember, it is of the utmost importance to use proper form in the gym when lifting, always warm up properly, and try to rest for 60-120 seconds between sets.
Most women have ‘trouble areas’ or places on their body where fat is stored that are really quite difficult to get rid of. For most, it’s the thighs, glutes (butt), triceps and ‘love handles’. After dieting to lose weight and tone up, these areas are the last places you want to regain excess fat. If you don’t keep your diet clean and controlled then you will gain fat in these areas.
Stay focused, motivated and healthy.
Culled from TW March 2014 edition
