Many moons ago, I was what you would call a “cardio bunny.” I would work out for hours in the gym but most of them are purely cardio workouts – the treadmill, elliptical and bike machines were my best friends. I’d do the sporadic ab workouts, but only those that require just my body weight and nothing else. Why? Because I was scared to bulk up. I, like many women, believed in the notion that weights/strength training = bulky bulgy muscles that don’t look feminine at all.
About five years ago, I remember having a bet with some of my guy friends that if they attended my plana forma (it’s a mix of yoga, Pilates and dance in one) class with me, I’d join them in cross fit, too. The soreness of my muscles the next day made me hate it. I felt like my arms became too big and bulky right away (in just one day!!! Incredulous!), so I thought I’d never lift anything heavy again. WRONG. Fast forward to a couple years later, I got properly educated and learned that lifting weights will definitely NOT bulk women up – it’s just not possible. What it does, however, is tone you up. It makes you burn more calories in your workouts and gives you those arms you’ve been coveting.
See, I used to believe that in order for me to not bulk up, I’ll just lift three-pound dumbbells and let them do the trick. But in reality, if the exercise doesn’t challenge your muscles, then it won’t really do anything. Strength training will not only make your muscles strong, it will also help you burn tons of calories while toning your body. Don’t be afraid to go heavy, to lift heavy. Also, always remember that muscle is denser than fat. More often than not, when you do strength training/weight lifting for the first time, you might notice your weight increasing. You shouldn’t worry too much because if you check your measurements, you’re probably a few centimeters smaller, not bigger. Don’t be afraid to do those 20-kg deadlifts – they won’t make your legs ginormous.
Let me give you five reasons why women cant bulk up:
1.Women have about 10-20 times less testosterone than men. Men have an abundance of testosterone, which is the main hormone responsible for muscle mass and girth increase. Women, on the other hand, have the same testosterone level as that of a 10-year-old boy. So it’s really impossible for us to gain that much muscle mass or “bulk up” as men do. Unless aided by steroids or heavy supplements, women cannot bulk up.
2.Women will certainly promote hypertrophy in their muscles but bodybuilding without testosterone only means toning and not bulking. To be toned means that the muscle is not being covered by fat, hence giving those muscles more visible definition. Think Izabel Goulart or Kayla Itsines – they are slim but strong.
3.Strength, not size. Lifting heavy gives primary stress to your nervous system and not the muscles so your strength will improve more through a neurological effect rather than muscle size increase. Women who train heavy strengthen not only their muscles but also cause their bones and connective tissues to have positive adaptations.
4.Bulking up cannot happen overnight. It takes years of bodybuilding to really bulk up.
5.If you eat more than you are burning, then you will gain weight. But weight gain does not equate to bulking up. It just means you are getting fatter, but your muscles are also somewhat getting more “swollen” so you think it’s bulk. You are misinterpreting your spot-bulk as muscle when in reality it is just fat tissue.
So ladies, don’t be scared to go to the heavy weights and strength training mechanisms in the gym. Get a trainer and ask how to properly do these exercises and do them regularly. Don’t believe people when they say that heavy weights will bulk you up; you have to see it for yourself. Or better yet, prove them wrong! And at the end of the day, it’s your body. Work hard, train hard and unleash the superhero in you.
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