The short answer is no, it will actually make you look more lean. Please forgive me for the harsh truth that I am about to reveal to you, as it is time to face the facts:
If you do lift (heavy) weights, and you are getting “bulky”, that is because you are gaining FAT. Simply put, if you consume more than you burn, you will gain weight. Quit blaming the weight room, and start blaming the beer, chocolate, chips, and cookies.
Lifting heavy weights will promote strength, not size. Lifting >85% of your 1 rep max primarily stresses your nervous system. This leads to an increase in strength through a neurological effect without increasing muscle size. Lifting heavy also leads to positive adaptations in women’s bones and connective tissue.
Lifting heavy weights will promote strength, not size. Lifting >85% of your 1 rep max primarily stresses your nervous system. This leads to an increase in strength through a neurological effect without increasing muscle size. Lifting heavy also leads to positive adaptations in women’s bones and connective tissue.
The body burns more calories to maintain muscle than it does to maintain fat. Additionally, muscle is more compact and is 18% more dense than fat. This means that by building muscle and losing fat, you will increase your basal metabolic rate and look leaner overall. Bam!
Men have about 15-20x more testosterone than women, making them much more equipped to gain muscle. The median-range of testosterone levels for men are 700ng/dl, while women’s are 42.5ng/dl. When women lift heavy, muscle will develop, but it won’t gain a large amount of mass because testosterone levels are not high enough.
If you’re worried about bulking up because you’re looking at women in magazine ads and bodybuilding shows, realize they are likely photo-shopped or pumped with supplements and steroids. It takes years of lifting and eating a smart caloric surplus for men (again with high testosterone levels) to gain a great deal of muscle size. Ask any male gym aficionado if he has to decrease his lifting because he’s getting too big and see what he says.
If you’re worried about bulking up because you’re looking at women in magazine ads and bodybuilding shows, realize they are likely photo-shopped or pumped with supplements and steroids. It takes years of lifting and eating a smart caloric surplus for men (again with high testosterone levels) to gain a great deal of muscle size. Ask any male gym aficionado if he has to decrease his lifting because he’s getting too big and see what he says.
Side-note: There is no such thing as “toning”. Magazine articles use this made-up term in place of “building muscle” because they realize it sounds more appealing to women. “Toning” workouts in magazines have you do high reps with little-to-no weight. Basically all this is doing is burning a few calories. It will not help you build muscle nor get lean; It will just waste your time.
If you don’t lift (heavy) weights, you are likely one of two things: fat, or skinny-fat. The layman’s term “skinny-fat” refers to those that are thin yet have little-to-no lean muscle mass.
Some people may prefer that look – but consider what I’ve said here, look at the pictures below, and then decide for yourself!
Some people may prefer that look – but consider what I’ve said here, look at the pictures below, and then decide for yourself!
If you’ve decided to lift heavy, get your body fat percentage tested (with calipers), record your start-weight, and take your “before” photos. I will happily assist you with any of your exercise program questions. Eight weeks later, update your body fat percentage, weight, and photos, and contact me with your results. Together we can help other women see the light ;)