There's a misconception that women lifting weights could result in them looking "muscly" or gaining size. It's true that if you lift weights & eat more calories than you burn over a long period of time you will gain muscle mass, however, even for men with higher testosterone levels, this is a hard thing to achieve.
We use resistance training with most clients, especially women. This is because, unlike men who tend to lean towards weight training in sessions away from their PT, women tend to lean more towards cardio. Building muscle takes longer than burning fat & any bodybuilder will tell you, you won't end up bulky by accident. Therefore weight training is often the area most clients need an expert eye.
Both are important & have a benefits beyond aesthetic or PB's, so we want to explain why you should incorporate resistance training into your fitness routine.
To put this in perspective, an average woman in the UK of around 5ft3inch, weighs around 54kg. Even women who are weight training 3-6 times per week would struggle to gain more than 0.4kg per month in muscle (less than half what men can expect to gain). That's less than 5kg weight gain per year of pure muscle, which is also often offset by an inevitable amount of fat loss that comes with building muscle (which is a calorie costly process).
So if that's the absolute maximum women can expect to gain, what does that actually look like? After all, most of us have aesthetic goals as well as health goals. Well the truth is that the composition of the female muscle-body tends to result in a "toned" look, without any apparent size gain. This is due to the lower levels of anabolic hormones, such as testosterone, being produced by their pituitary gland. Testosterone is still produced in females with benefits to mood, energy & cognitive function, but is not in sufficient amounts to fuel large amounts of muscle growth.
Aside from achieving that toned look, meta-analysis studies (widely considered the most reliable) suggest that weight training has arguably even greater benefits to:
Bone density
Heart health & b lood pressure
Life expectancy
Counteracts ageing joints
Energy levels
Brain function
Sleep quality
Confidence & mental wellbeing
The list is endless so we'll stop the hard sell! Instead, lets look at how to use weight training to aid your specific goals...
Gain muscle mass: You'll be wanting to lift weights a minimum of 3 times per week & make sure you're in a calorie surplus with enough protein. Elliot is a good choice for you
Improve posture & counteract a sedentary job: You'll want to lift weights 1-2 times per weeks along with plenty of mobility, flexibility & core work. Heather is a good choice for you
Burn fat & improve your physique: You'll want a good balance of weight training (1-2 days per week) & calorie burning via activity & positive additions to your nutrition. You should maintain a slight calorie deficit & keep up with mobility work as part of your workouts. Elliot is a good choice for you
A mental health & anti-stress focus: A variety of mood boosting cardio & weight training with plenty of sunlight would be ideal (e.g. outdoor training). Eating plenty of simple, tasty, whole foods will massively contribute too. Jude is a good choice for you
So just have a go! Use whatever you're comfortable with, be it resistance bands, weights or even just bodyweight for now. Start small with just a few press-ups, squats or rows. We guarantee you'll progress much quicker than you think, feel like a badass & reap the rewards of pumping some iron! If you aren't comfortable with starting, drop us an email & we can work with you in person or online to get results, without sacrificing the things you love (free first session link below). See you next Sunday, have an amazing week!
Elliot Hutchinson // 09.06.2024
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