I’m a woman and I’d like to be more muscular. What? But why…?
The truth is there are many misconceptions about women who lift weights. Many women are afraid to go to the gym and lift a heavier kettlebell because they think they’d get big, robust and manly. Lifting heavy weights is considered not feminine.
For starters, let’s define what is considered “a heavy weight” and “a light weight”. Not surprisingly, there is no universal definition for heavy or light weights. A 5 kg weight can be easy when you do squats, but it can be heavy when you do an exercise for your triceps. Also, what is easy for you to lift, might be heavy for others. So how can we define heavy? The answer lies in the number of repetitions you are able to do with one weight (RM: repetition max). For example, if you can do 20 repetitions (20 RM) of arm curling (biceps) with a weight, that weight will be considered light for you. But if can do only 6 RM with that weight, I am sure you will agree that it is heavy.
We have put together 6 of the most common misconceptions that might help you in your fitness journey.
- I’ll be as big as a double door if I lift heavy weights. (6-10RM)
Just because you switch your 1-2 kg weights to bigger ones and use more weight on the machines, you’re not going to look like a body builder. Those people follow a very special workout plan and a diet and lifestyle very different to yours. The other thing is that a woman’s body has significantly less testosterone, so it’s much harder for them to build muscles than for men. Even for men it takes a lot of time and effort to put on noticeable amounts of muscles. But there are many other factors that influence how much muscle you can have. People who have so called slow fibres can build muscles easier, as opposed to people who have fast fibres, for them it takes much longer to get the same results.
- Fat turns into muscle, right?
I wish! But the truth is that there is no crossing in between these two types of tissues. People who would like to be toned will need to work out, because muscles will only grow if they’re put under pressure. You’ll need to work hard and consistently to see results, and you should forget about starving yourself. If you starve your body, it won’t have the necessary building blocks for those muscles. Yes, you’ll need to eat a lot of protein and carbs to build muscles. Don’t be afraid if the scale shows more than before you started working out, the same volume of muscles weigh a lot more than fat. But why would I want to build muscles first when I want to lose weight? Because muscles use a lot of energy. Just by having those muscles (and not use them), you can burn a lot more energy. Now imagine you start using them to lift weight. Your body will start transforming much quicker than with jumping onto the cardio machine immediately. Also, have you thought about that what gives a feminine figure to a woman? What a nice butt or legs are “made of”? Under the skin, there has to be something, what makes a butt round and attractive, and that something is not fat or bone, it’s the muscle.
- Can I loose fat only from my belly?
I should also mention that there is no spot-specific weight loss, so you cannot make the fat from your belly disappear but keep everything else. How fast you lose the fat does depend on the specific body part though. Unfortunately the belly, hips and thighs are the most difficult. But, unlike fat loss, we can talk about building muscles in specific areas.
- I work out hard so I can eat what I want
Well, if you do that, you’ll just cancel out all the hard work you’ve done. If you want to see proper results, you should watch the amount of calories you eat, you’ll need to get more protein if you work out. You’re good if you eat like chicken, salmon and tuna, rice and oats. (proteins, slow carbs, fibre, but no sugar or other quick carbs like cakes and biscuits)
- Women have to use low weights and high repetitions to workout
Of course you don’t have to use the heaviest weights right from the beginning, or use the machines on a setting left by a hardcore gym-goer. At first you’ll probably only be able to do the exercises with a lower weight, but as you get better at it, you should increase the weight, not just the repetitions. Ideally you’ll feel like you’re working hard and extending your capacity. You can achieve this by using a weight that you cannot finish the last repetition with, and you fail. By this you ensured you did your absolute best, so your body will have to catch up with building more muscle cells. The ideal number of repetitions will depend on the specific exercise. A good personal trainer will be able to help you there.
- You need to do cardio if you want to lose weight
As I already mentioned, someone who only does cardio won’t lose weight as fast as someone who lifts weights at least 1-2 times a week. 2 kg lost by running or cycling means about half a kg of lost muscles. Why is that bad? The more muscles we have, the more fat we burn. So after a while it will be harder and harder for you to loose fat, there will always be some stubborn fat left that will not go away. True, you’ll see a lot more women on running tracks than lifting weights, but don’t let that scare you away. Get a good personal trainer, have him prepare a personalised workout plan for you, keep at it for a few weeks and you’ll see results fast!
