Rec and Sports

Women’s Personal Trainer in Washington, DC Reveals Why Lifting Heavy Weights Makes Women Shrink, Not Grow

You may have heard this warning more than once, if you are a female who is fond of workouts – Avoid lifting heavy weights, unless bulking up is what you want. This common piece of advice couldn’t be more wrong. Your DC based personal trainer explains the truth about what would happen to women who lift heavy weights.

How come it is impossible for women to gain the kind of muscles that men develop just by lifting few heavy weights?

One reason is that the levels of testosterone hormone in men and women are not the same. The only difference is that women have only 15 to 20 times less the amount of testosterone hormone than men. But this difference is enough to keep women from building the kind of bulky muscles that men can. That is why it is absolutely fine if women lift heavy weights assuming that their health and physical strength supports this.

What REALLY happens when women lift heavy weights?

Women do have a small amount of testosterone in their bodies, so when they lift weights, they tone, rather than develop bulky muscle. Because they don’t have a lot of testosterone, they’ll gain the muscle without the mass.

* The more the repetitions the more the muscle bulk, but most women limit themselves to few reps.

When men lift weights, they tend to do more number of repetitions using heavy weights. Women on the other hand use small weights. Hence, they do not develop volume, just strength.

* Heavy weights equal strength, not size.

Women get strength and not bulk muscle by lifting weights. Women get muscle strength and neurological improvement because while lifting weights the nervous system is stressed as much as the muscles, but there is no increase in the size.

* Lifting heavy weights benefits you in more ways than one, as a woman.

Now that all your doubts regarding weightlifting and bulk in women have been clarified, you have every reason to take up lifting heavy weights, provided your health and physical conditions allow it.

If you are avoiding lifting heavy weights, you’re doing yourself a disservice because lifting heavy weights can do several positive things for you. It strengthens muscles, to be sure, but it also makes connective tissues and bones stronger, too. And that can help you avoid problems that can occur as you get older, especially diseases like osteoporosis.

Josef Brandenburg is an award winning DC personal trainer. His clients depend on him to help them get the bodies they want in the time that they actually have and without being hungry or eating nasty food. Click here to find out more about his 7-Day Free Trial.