Women & Weights: I Don't Want Big Muscles

I've been going to the gym consistently since the belly must go challenge and can't help but notice the number of women that shun weights and instead opt for cardio based machines such as treadmills for the entirety of their workouts. While there's nothing wrong with cardio intensive training programming, the fact is you're not optimizing your training to get the full benefits of being a gym member. I recall overhearing a conversation between a lady and a trainer at the gym I go to and the exchange baffled and amused me in equal measure. The trainer had this lady warm up on a treadmill as he should and later decided to put her through an exercise circuit that involved the use of weights. Upon being presented with dumbbells for an exercise she flat out refused to use weights. She said and I quote - 'I don't want to look like a man. I don't want muscles and I'm not here to get a hard body!' 😂 This comical response made understand women's reluctance to lift weights but the thinking is deeply flawed. A prime example of this is the fact that in every gym you'll find men lifting weights and grunting while making all sorts of faces as they do so, my dear sisters, how many of those men have muscles? My point is, it's not easy to build muscle and get bulky. If it was all men would be out there flexing but they're not.

The main reasons I advocate for all women to lift weights🏋‍♀️ are:

• Increased caloric expenditure🔥

As you build more lean muscle through resistance training your resting metabolism will increase as well. It takes more energy/calories to maintain muscle than it does fat so build muscle to turn your body into a fat burning machine. Burning more calories throughout the day (even at rest) can be a huge contributor to you maintaining or getting to the dress size that you want.

• Improved body composition💪

Body composition is what makes up your body. Typically, you're made up of bones, water, fat and muscle. You can't do anything about your bones, you can manipulate your water levels temporarily but what you can really influence long term is your fat and muscle components. Despite what you favorite song encourages believe me when I tell you that a 'wiggle wiggle' body is a health problem. Excess body fat is detrimental and serves as non functional weight. Strive to get rid of the excess baggage and build lean muscle mass on your frame. Perfect way to do this is strength training.

• Improved mood & confidence😎

Strength training triggers a dopamine and endorphins response which will improve your sense of well-being, general mood and motivation to tackle other things in your life. People that lift weights and exercise (consistently) in general are happier and more driven individuals.

Training advice
Women should aim to lift weights x3 times per week. There's no downside to lifting weights, only upside. You won't get bulky and you won't wake up with a beard. You have lower testosterone levels than men so development of big muscles is NOT your portion.

Conclusion
Why pay to only use a treadmill when you can freely run outside🏃‍♀️? Stop shortchanging yourself on the monthly gym subscription that you pay, use all the equipment that your gym charges you for. Lift weights for a better body and improved health outcomes.