There is a lot of misconception and a whole whack of false
"claims" regarding women and weight training. The most common
question that nearly every women has asked before hitting the
weight room is "will I gain huge muscles like Arnold
Swatrtzenegger?" - Well, let me put it to you in the simplest
way possible - No! There is absolutely no way, humanly possible
to look anything like seven time Mr Olympia by simply lifting a
few weights - even if you're lifting more than the average girl
next door.
Human biology makes it virtually impossible for a woman's body
to react to weight training in the same way as it would for a
man. Science on the other hand, well that's a different story
all together, but we'll touch bases with that a little later.
A woman's body contains high levels of estrogen, whilst men are
genetically gifted with the muscle building substance,
Testosterone. Although women do posses some level of
testosterone (about one-tenth compared to men), with the
presence of estrogen being much higher, building massive muscles
is highly unlikely. You will no doubt, gain muscle by training
hard and following a clean eating plan, irrespective of your
gender, but the amount of muscle you stack on is nothing
compared to that image stuck in your imagination. So don't worry
about a muscle-induced freak taking over your body - it ain't
going to happen, unless of course, that's your goal.
With more and more female athletes moving into the professional
bodybuilding arena, further misconceptions are created regarding
weights and the muscle building process. The average woman
believes that if she were to weight train, she would make huge
gains and look like those girls they see in muscle magazines.
Not only are those professional athletes genetically gifted, but
they are also, well, professionals. They eat, sleep, and live
their training and diet routines. They work hard, are extremely
dedicated and above all, know and understand their bodies well
enough to know what measures need to be taken to achieve their
goals.
It takes a lot more than a few weight-training sessions and a
couple of protein shakes to gain muscles and look anything like
a bodybuilder. Professional bodybuilders have not only spent
years and years perfecting their shape but, to be blatantly
honest, many of the elite group use chemical performance drugs.
These substances help them to fill in their genetic imbalance
gaps, and assist them with building a more solid, defined
physique.
Not forgetting of course, the athletes you see gracing the pages
of muscle magazines have undergone major cutting diets and
extremely discipline pre contest weeks to achieve that
chiselled, super cut look. On an average day, off-season, these
athletes look nothing like their photographs.
Now back to the topic at hand - Ladies with muscle not only look
great, but they are much healthier than those who are skinny
with little or no muscle definition at all. Muscle not only
fills your body with tone and definition, but the more you have,
the easier it becomes to lose fat. I bet I have your attention
now?
Muscle is an fascinating instrument of human biology - as it
builds, it requires more fuel, so it speeds up your metabolism -
the faster your metabolism, the faster your body buns calories,
even at rest. Which means that you will continue to burn
calories even while you're sitting on the couch watching Days of
our Lives.
So, who said being a couch potato was so bad after all? Just
remember you've first got to get that ass into the gym and pump
those muscles before taking a time out in front of the tube.
About the author:
Dimi Deliyiannis is the founder and editor of
http://www.GetFIT.co.za, a free online magazine with information
on training, diet and nutrition. She regularly writes articles
for top South African magazines, including: Fitness, Muscle
Evolution and Women's Value. Visit her website on
http://www.getfit.co.za and sign up for her free monthly fitness
supplement on
http://www.getfit.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id
=227&Itemid=91
