0 Do Women Get Big Muscles If They Lift Weights?

By Howe Russ


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.

In the early 1970's, during the heyday of bodybuilding characters such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno, many mainstream gyms were to blame for starting a trend of encouraging ladies to stick to cardiovascular exercise while men hit the weights section. This was then set in stone with the emergence of home circuit style workouts which were released on VHS, encouraging ladies to use nothing more than a bottle of water or very light dumbbell as resistance.

Why did this happen? It was like adding 2 and 2, but getting 5. People presumed that if you touched weights you would automatically end up looking like a bodybuilder, because they famously training regularly with weights. of course, now we know differently, but this myth still exists in gyms today. If it were that easy to pack on lean size, every guy in your local gym would have the Rambo physique.

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:

* If you only perform cardiovascular workouts you will not build the lean physique most women want to achieve. Resistance training plays a major role here.

* 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 been shown to have very similar effects to HIIT in terms of it's ability to burn off body fat.

The four points above should be enough to get you on the resistance machines the next time you hit the gym, but now we answer the top concern ladies have on this subject. Is it going to make you grow big muscles and appear bulky? No, it is not. Female's simply don't have enough testosterone in their body's to do that, which is why those who become female bodybuilders need to get their diet in check, figure out what supplements to take and consume things like testosterone boosters on a regular basis.

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.

At the end of the day, should women lift weights or should they stick to cardiovascular exercise? By now you know all the facts point towards getting a healthy balance of both because they will each play an integral role in your quest to build a better physique. If you had previously wondered about this subject but never knew what to believe don't worry, you are certainly not alone in this. In fact, alongside learning what supplements to take to suit your goal, this is easily one of the most common myths mentioned in any gym around the world.




About the Author:



 

Healthy Living Copyright © 2011 - |- Template created by O Pregador - |- Powered by Blogger Templates