LIFTING WEIGHTS  MAKE GIRLS TOO MUSCULAR?

One of the biggest myths among women is to think that by taking a pair of dumbbells and lifting some weight during their workout, they’ll develop excessive muscle mass and end up looking like Hulk.

Nothing could be further from reality than this theory, that’s why today we are going to clarify one of the doubts that most girls have when starting to train, lifting weights will make me look very muscular?

Let’s begin by explaining that testosterone is the hormone responsible for muscle growth, and remember that it’s found in both, men and women and its production takes place in male and female gonads (testicles and ovaries respectively) and in smaller numbers in the kidney glands.

As you know, men have a lot more testosterone than women, so it’s very difficult that by performing a moderate training with weights your muscles will develop in the same way in which men’s muscles develop.

This doesn’t means that you won’t be able to develop muscles even though you exercise regularly, on the contrary, a good weight training routine can help you to achieve that toned look you want. Of course, you must remember that to get a defined body, you must complement the exercise with a diet low in calories and rich in protein.

If when you start your fitness program, you note that you have too much localized fat, I don’t recommend you to start with toning exercises, the first thing you have to do is to start a healthy diet and a workout routine based on high intensity aerobic exercise combined with small exercises with weights; this is the best way to start, losing fat and preparing your tissues to boost the muscles. That way, once you’ve lost all the weight you wanted, you can begin to do more intense strength exercises to develop and tone your muscles. Remember that to get the results you are looking for, this is a process that must be constant, since once you stop training, the muscle will lose volume and you will lose much of the work you have done before.

Another advantage of weight training is that as you increase your muscle mass, your metabolism will also be faster, which means that your body will need more energy and you will begin to lose fat in a much easier way.

Weight training in women is also very effective in controlling stress levels, preventing cardiovascular diseases, get in shape after given birth, combating adipose thickening in certain parts of the body that leads to sagging, improving mobility and decreasing many of the symptoms associated with menopause.

Now you know it, don’t limit yourself to cardiovascular training for fear of becoming “too masculine”, increasing muscle volume is something that requires a lot of time and dedication, so just by complement your routine of aerobic exercise with some strength exercises, believe me, you are not going to acquire a manly appearance, on the contrary, you will lose weight, your muscles will tone up in a delicate way and you will improve your health; the best way to look and feel much better.