Women & Weight Lifting

The most common myth about weight lifting and women is that it will make you look bulky. My husband and I hear this all the time from our female clients. Ladies, I’m here to tell you, the fastest way to weight loss and a toned body is weight lifting. I did it, so I know it works!

Here’s why. Muscle burns fat. It’s that simple. Muscle also burns more calories than cardio after your workout is over, so the more muscle mass, the more fat you burn. According to WebMD, 10 pounds of muscle burns 50 calories per day while your body is at rest, while 10 pounds of fat only burns 20 calories per day.

The key to looking fit and toned is increasing your muscle mass and reducing body fat.  So ladies, if you want to see faster results from your hard work and effort, add some strength training to your workout routine.

But I don’t want to look like a man…

It takes a LOT of effort and discipline to build “bulky” muscles.  My husband is a professional body builder, so I see first hand all the work he puts into crafting his body builder physique.   Women generally don’t have high enough levels of testosterone to build really large muscles.  It can be done, but it takes a concerted effort.  In other words, it won’t happen by accident. 

Adding 2-3 days of strength training per week will actually make you look smaller even without significant weight loss.  When I was on my weight loss journey,  I lost 37 lbs and dropped from a size 12 to a size 4.  The reason for the dramatic drop in size is lean muscle is more dense than fat so it takes up less space, making you look smaller.  The result is a lean, toned body – not large, bulky muscles.

How To Get Started

Getting started with weight lifting isn’t has hard as you think. Start off with light weights to reduce the risk of injury and give yourself time to learn proper form and technique.  Gradually increase your weight as you get stronger and your muscles become accustomed to weight lifting. 

To learn how to safely get started with weight lifting, I recommend one of my online strength training classes like Jiggle Free Arms or one of my muscular endurance or strength training classes at the Jiggle Free Online Fitness Studio. You can also read my article How to Pick the Right Weight.

Other Benefits of Weight Lifting for Women

1. You’ll get sexy curves, feel more confident in your body and look damn good in your clothes!
2. You’ll have more energy.
3. It strengthens your heart, improves endurance, and reduces blood pressure.
4. Exercise releases “feel good” endorphins that elevate your mood and relieves stress. 
5. Those same “feel good” endorphins stimulate the release of sex hormones.  Strength training increases levels of growth hormone, which contributes to spikes in testosterone – the hormone of arousal.

For more information on the benefits of weight lifting for women, read the article: Add Strength Training For Lean Muscles.