An increasing number of women are using weight training to complement their fitness programs. Such resistance training encourages strengthening of muscles and joints and can play a significant role in improving muscular endurance and stamina. Other health advantages of weight training include assisting in the prevention of osteoporosis, improving energy levels, raising metabolic rate and boosting self-esteem and independence.
There are, however, some myths and misconceptions that still keep many women from lifting weights. Some of these include:
Will lifting weights will give me bulky muscles?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that women will develop heavy-duty, bulging muscles from lifting weights. The average woman does not produce significant quantities of the male hormone testosterone in order to really bulk up. Female bodybuilders, who do have large muscles, tend to have lower oestrogen to testosterone ratios, or have higher than normal levels of testosterone, or have a genetic predisposition to develop large muscles. Only 6 to 8 per cent of women have these traits and the capacity for major muscle building.
It's important to remember that female bodybuilders don’t get well developed just by accident – they have to work very hard to achieve their shape. Several hours of training each day following a carefully planned program, together with a strict dietary manipulation and appropriate supplementation is the norm for bodybuilders, many of whom compete. Your three or four workout sessions in the gym each week will not do that. For women who follow a sensible weight-training program, the result will be a trim, healthy look, and not bulging muscles. But remember, be patient: it takes time to build muscle and reshape your body.
But surely if I keep lifting weights, my muscles will get increasingly stronger and therefore bigger?
You will only get stronger if you lift heavier weights. Once you are as strong and toned as you want, you can maintain your fitness level by continuing to lift the same amount of weight. If you want to get to the next level of strength, you have to increase the weights. To build muscle size, you need to lift short repetitions of heavier weights.
Can my muscle turn to fat if I stop weight training?
Never. It is physiologically impossible for muscle to become fat, and vice versa – they are completely different types of body tissue. As muscles are worked, they tend to become leaner and harder as they grow stronger, which can shed centimetres, but in so doing they are not replacing or burning fat. If you stop exercising, however, muscles have a tendency to atrophy, or lose tone, resulting in a 'flabby' appearance. But atrophied muscle can always be re-toned again with focused exercise.
How can I be putting on weight while losing centimetres?
This is a popular concern among avid 'scale-watchers'. The fact is that muscle is denser than fat, and yet it takes up less space
than fat. It is firm, while fat is soft and unformed. A program of weight training, combined with good diet and aerobic exercise,
can cause you to lose centimetres. At the same time, your weight might not drop much at all, but you will look and feel much better.
Are women weaker than men?
In terms of absolute strength, men are stronger than women because they have more muscle and more testosterone. However, in
terms of relative strength, which takes into account body size, females are just as strong, if not stronger, than males. Studies
of relative strength have shown that women are slightly behind men in upper body strength, but superior to men in lower body strength.
Weight training under the guidance of a professional trainer has so many health advantages for women, and can be used as a important aspect of a well structured, all-round fitness program, ensuring health for all ages through the years.