Should women lift weights in the gym? This is one of the oldest questions in fitness and it's amazing how much confusion it still causes today. Today we will give you the lowdown on this often debated topic.
If you are trying to build a better body in your local gym it can be very distracting if you are always being told different things by different people. Lots of the fitness industry is based on pure opinion, which is why there are so many conflicting pieces of information. However, if you want to look at the rock hard scientific evidence on this particular subject you will find it a whole lot easier to understand.
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.
Now that we have the benefit of decades of scientific research we are able to see the many benefits the female body can enjoy if it is trained with weights on a regular basis. Here are just a few:
* In order to build a toned, lean physique you simply need some kind of resistance training.
* By training with weights you'll build more lean muscle tissue, which will in turn help your body to burn off more unwanted fat.
* Be prepared for a great increase in fitness.
* Resistance training has been shown to have very similar effects to HIIT in terms of it's ability to burn off body fat.
There's four reasons why every lady in your local gym should be working out with barbells and dumbbells. But what about the number one fear - Will it make you bulky? Actually, no. The female body does not release anywhere near as much testosterone as the male body, therefore making it very difficult to get big and bulky unless that is specifically what you are trying to do. The next time you see a female bodybuilder don't presume that she just lifted a slightly heavier dumbbell, she has had to tailor her diet to suit her needs and what supplements to take to help her body grow.
Lifting up a dumbbell is not going to automatically put you on the road to the next Mr. Olympia contest, so don't worry about that at all.
Should women lift weights? Absolutely. In fact it is one of the best ways to get in shape even if your overall goal is weight loss. The myth that ladies should stick to cardio is as old as time itself, it can be one of most confusing aspects of fitness alongside learning what supplements to take or which how many times per week you need to work out for maximum results.
If you are trying to build a better body in your local gym it can be very distracting if you are always being told different things by different people. Lots of the fitness industry is based on pure opinion, which is why there are so many conflicting pieces of information. However, if you want to look at the rock hard scientific evidence on this particular subject you will find it a whole lot easier to understand.
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.
Now that we have the benefit of decades of scientific research we are able to see the many benefits the female body can enjoy if it is trained with weights on a regular basis. Here are just a few:
* In order to build a toned, lean physique you simply need some kind of resistance training.
* By training with weights you'll build more lean muscle tissue, which will in turn help your body to burn off more unwanted fat.
* Be prepared for a great increase in fitness.
* Resistance training has been shown to have very similar effects to HIIT in terms of it's ability to burn off body fat.
There's four reasons why every lady in your local gym should be working out with barbells and dumbbells. But what about the number one fear - Will it make you bulky? Actually, no. The female body does not release anywhere near as much testosterone as the male body, therefore making it very difficult to get big and bulky unless that is specifically what you are trying to do. The next time you see a female bodybuilder don't presume that she just lifted a slightly heavier dumbbell, she has had to tailor her diet to suit her needs and what supplements to take to help her body grow.
Lifting up a dumbbell is not going to automatically put you on the road to the next Mr. Olympia contest, so don't worry about that at all.
Should women lift weights? Absolutely. In fact it is one of the best ways to get in shape even if your overall goal is weight loss. The myth that ladies should stick to cardio is as old as time itself, it can be one of most confusing aspects of fitness alongside learning what supplements to take or which how many times per week you need to work out for maximum results.
About the Author:
About the author: Russ Howe PTI answers the query should women lift weights in the gym today. He also teaches you what supplements to take to reach your goal in his latest new material which is out right now.
