Women And Weight Training - Myths And Truths Explained | Workout & Exercises slideshows | Physical activities center

Why women should weight train

More often than not I hear women in the gym saying no to weights and think it makes them look manly. But there are so many benefits for women to train with weights. Firstly, when working the muscles particularly in the legs it burns a huge amount of calories; not just during the exercise but for up to 48 hours afterwards. Also if you want to be toned and have the ultimate bum and legs you will not achieve that simply from cardio alone, there are many great exercises to tone up without putting on excess muscle mass.

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of Keith Allison by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/keithallison/3805620826
www.bodybuilding.com/fun/berardi12.htm

Testosterone explained

The biggest reason I hear for women not wanting to lift weights is the fear of putting on a huge amount of muscle mass and that it is not sexy. But in order to build muscle in a significant way the body needs the hormone testosterone to repair and build it. Women only have small amounts of this hormone compared to men, so a woman would need to train a lot harder and for longer to see any similar gains that men get from weight training. Different people have different levels of hormones so just because one person has a quick response to lifting does not mean everyone will.

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of MSGT Jon Nicolussi, U.S. Air Force by Wikimedia Commons : commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woman_fitness_training.JPEG
www.bodybuilding.com/fun/berardi12.htm

Women shouldn't train like men

Truth. The simple fact is that males have a higher level of testosterone therefore can repair muscles much quicker and become stronger. Male and female muscle tissue is exactly the same, it is purely the hormones which make males have a higher quantity. Therefore it is not appropriate for males and females to train the same as females will need longer to recover between sessions. There are no exercises that are gender specific, females can complete any exercise that a male can but the weight may be lower to start and females cannot cope with the same volume of training as a male.

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo by shutterstock.com

All women are trying to lose weight

Myth. As a female trainer who trains as a body builder I often get questioned by people who are confused by what I do. It is a common misconception that females only exercise when we need to lose weight to look good and then stop. But many women choose to exercise to increase their fitness or muscle tone. Yes women have to work a little harder to keep their body fat down as they naturally store more fat but it is not every woman's goal to be skinny or lose weight. Some women train to increase muscle tone or mass and increase their aerobic performance, so don't be afraid to admit your own goals.

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of Fit Approach by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/fitapproach/6814590941/
www.simplyshredded.com/the-ultimate-female-training-guide.html

Women needs special protein powder

Myth. Protein is an essential macronutrient that everyone needs in their diet to build muscle tissue, proteins are made up of amino acids which are the building blocks for life. Although we can get a lot of protein from our diet sometimes it can be hard without eating chicken for every meal. Therefore a huge market has opened up for protein supplements such as protein shakes/powders. There is a huge range of protein powders available but there is no gender difference in them. Many suppliers advertise a "female" version but these tend to be the diet option with green tea extract to promote weight loss. But a good quality whey protein works just as well for men and women.

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of Hiroshi Ishii by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/isinoid/4408474714/
www.bodybuilding.com/fun/all_about_protein.htm

Lifting makes a woman look masculine

Myth. This is really a matter of opinion however exercising should be done to improve confidence and health and I really disapprove with judgements over a person when they are choosing a method. Lifting weights for females should be just as important as running on the treadmill or attending classes, it is by no means masculine although the weights section of the gym tends to be male dominated which is where this comes from. It is the same as saying a male using a cross trainer (which is mainly used by women) is feminine. But this is not true.

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of petechons by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/petechons/20013694/

Women shouldn't take creatine

Myth. Creatine supplementation is often deemed as stay away particularly for women because of risks of weight gain during the loading phase. But recent studies have shown that it is actually more beneficial for women than men. Creatine enables you to be able to work for longer and therefore train harder - doing more reps per exercise - to put on more muscle. Most studies only feature men but some that have female subjects have shown that creatine helps improve performance in females faster than it does males. You need to be training hard if taking creatine but if you are using it for a period of time can help you make gains.

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of osseous by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/osseous/10939765203/
www.oxygenmag.com/nutrition/supplements/is-creatine-right-for-you/

Im going to get muscly really quickly

Myth. As mentioned on a previous slide women take longer to build bigger muscles than men do simply because of a lack of testosterone. Also women are unable to train as hard as males can and require more rest therefore it will take much longer. Many people want quick fixes, to lose weight, tone up, gain muscle but all of these goals take time and effort. Women generally take 4-6 weeks to see any change in their muscle mass whereas men see changes in as quick as 2 weeks. So if you start training with weights you will not get big really quick, keep the weight low and reps high and you will simply burn calories and tone up.

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of Sabine Mondestin by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/sabinemondestin/8231044587/

The treadmill is all a lady needs

Myth. So many times I walk around the gym or take on new female clients and all they want to know is how to use a treadmill and maybe the cross trainer. Women who train on only one or two machines will see improvements for about 3 months and then things will stagnate. You need to change up the exercises you do to keep pushing your body to adapt. Treadmills are a great piece of equipment if you use them correctly, walking at 15% incline holding on for dear life is not good. You should be supporting your own weight and walking and an incline and speed that is challenging but not impossible.

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of fitbox by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/fitbox/11707933445

Strong is the new skinny

TRUTH. With a much bigger emphasis on healthy bodies and weight loss in the current climate strong is definetly the new skinny. Ten to fifteen years ago it was all about being as small as possible for women but it is much more accepted and common for women to build muscle and a toned physique. Instead of concentrating on the scales, focus on what your body looks like. You can run and run and run but that will never give you abs to die for or those toned legs you wish for. Get into the weights and you will be amazed how good you look.