Women: Banish the Fear of Bulking Up

Written by: Ashley Doyle-Lucas | Posted on: Saturday, January 28, 2012

Many women are afraid that lifting weights is going to cause them to “bulk-up” or possibly diminish their femininity.  As a result, their exercise routines rely heavily on cardio, leaving out one of the most important components of their overall fitness – strength training.

To those women out there:  although cardio does aid to improve both health and appearance, strength training is essential as well.  Not only will strength training make you stronger and firmer, but it’s been observed that individuals burn approximately 100 additional calories over 24 hours following a strength training workout.  Also, by increasing your muscles mass (which occurs when you lift weights) your overall metabolic rate, the rate at which you burn calories, has the potential to increase up to 15%. So, while cardio is important (especially for weight loss), strength training must be given more credit.  If your objectives are to lose weight, tone up, or to simply gain health and fitness, the only way to reach your ultimate health goals is to combine your cardio with a weight lifting program.

In 2004, the CDC reported that only 17.5% of adult women (21.9% of men) strength train two or more times per week.  To see a difference in your appearance and tone those muscles, the Mayo Clinic recommends doing 2 to 3 strength training sessions per week, that last about 30 minutes each.  By doing just this much, you can increase your strength by 50% within 6 months or less.

There are also many other health benefits associated with strength training.  According to the CDC, strength training can reduce symptoms of myriad diseases and chronic conditions including, but not limited to: arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, back pain, insomnia, and even depression.

It’s reported that 1 in 3 women over the age of 50 will experience an osteoporotic fracture, as post-menopausal women can lose up to 1 to 2% of bone mass each year.  Strength training increases bone mass and reduces fracture risk in women of this age range, which is yet another reason why women need to lift weights.

Clarifying Some Misconceptions

Let’s make truth of this common misconception that lifting weights will cause women to develop large, bulky muscles.  Because women do not naturally have high testosterone levels, they should not develop that masculine shape as a result of adding strength training into their exercise routine.  So, unless you spend hours in the gym lifting incredibly heavy weights (and consider using steroids) you won’t develop the body builder, muscle-bound look.  But, by lifting some moderate to heavy weights a few times each week you will get the toned figure you’ve been trying to attain.

Another common misconception among women is that lower weights with higher repetitions is the best method for toning muscles and gaining strength.  Again, although this does provide some benefit, try switching your routine.  Next time you’re at the gym lift heavier weights, but with fewer repetitions.  For example, increase the dumbbell weight for your bicep curls by five pounds.  Do 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions (so you will curl that dumbbell about 12 times, rest, and repeat that “set” 3 to 4 times).  For an extra challenge, you can increase the weight of your dumbbells after each set so that by your final rep you are fatigued (a good indicator of “fatigue” is not being able to do one more curl after what should be your last).   Be sure to use proper technique to avoid any injury, and be cautious when you are first attempting to increase your weight.  For maximum benefit, listen to your body, but learn to challenge it at the same time.

Sources:

CDC MMWR Trends in strength training-United States, 1998-2004. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5528a1.htm

About Ashley Doyle-Lucas
Dr. Ashley Doyle-Lucas completed her PhD at Virginia Tech in Sports Nutrition and Chronic Disease. Her areas of expertise concern nutrition for optimal performance and energy metabolism in female athletes. Her writings can be seen in SCAN’S “PULSE”, “Today’s Dietitian”, and at Livestrong.com. She currently teaches ballet and wellness courses to adults and adolescents around the Columbus area and is adjunct faculty within the Department of Dance at The Ohio State University.
View all posts by Ashley Doyle-Lucas