Top 3 Reasons Women Should LIft Weights

The concerns are always the same. "I do not want to get bulky," or, "I am just trying to tone up."  All too often you hear women making these statements on their way to lifting a bright colored, 5lb db to do some tricep kick-backs because they carry some extra body fat there. Or they pop on a cardio machine for 45 minutes at a low intensity, while reading a cosmo. That is no different than a hamster on a wheel.

What women fail to realize is that resistance training is the single best program element (if done correctly) that will meet all their fitness needs!!

Hit the weights hard and often ladies, because you can't get bulky. You will also get the tone and definition you are after. Here are the the top 3 reasons why women should resistance train:

1.     You Burn Body Fat

Total body resistance training puts a larger demand on the body than most cardio and allows you to burn calories throughout the day. Adding lean mass also increases metabolism. For every 1lb of lean mass you gain, you can burn 35-55 kcals extra/day while at rest and during normal activity. 

2.    Strength without Bulk

Women have 10-30x less hormones than men, meaning your chances of getting ‘bulky’ is near impossible. Additionally, women begin to lose their strength and roughly .5lb/muscle per year after 18. Get your strength and muscle back!

3.    Fight Osteoporosis

Women have a higher % of osteoporosis than men. Strength training contributes to stronger bone density. Studies show an increase in bone density as high as 13% in 6 months!

Strength training is vital for everyone and the list of its benefits are endless. Women have a larger demand to train because of the lean mass and strength loss factors that take place over the years. We encourage all women to give strength training a shot. Put down the bright colored dumbbells and pick up something heavy!!

5 Reasons why you won't "Get Bulky"

I can't tell you how many times I have heard:

"I don't lift arms because I don't want to look like a man."
"I don't do legs because they are big enough."
"I don't lift heavy weights because I don't want to get bulky."

Most of the times I get this from my female clients. However, I have trained males with the same concerns. Usually it is: "I'll lift but I don't want to get too big and look like a body builder or football player."

So, here are the top 5 reasons why you won't "get bulky."

5. The caloric demands

If you wanted to really gain the amount of muscle mass it would take to "look bulky" the amount of calories needed is incredibly high.  The average Joe does not have the discipline (and probably $) to eat that much. Supplementation is also a usually a needed compliment.

4. The caloric demands

Deja vu? No. 9 out of 10 people who hire a trainer or strength coach carry excess body fat and spend a large portion of their programming losing it.  The same people who say they don't want to get "bulky" also want to "tone up." In this case, they are in a caloric deficit (calorie restriction), making it impossible to get bulky.

3. Protein intake

The average person not only would have trouble taking in excessive calories, their daily protein intake is incredibly inadequate. Most american diets lake lean proteins (or proteins in general) because they eat complex carbohydrates and fat. To build a significant amount of lean mass, it takes higher amount of protein, which you are likely not getting.

2. Genetics

Sorry people. Around %75-80 of men simply don't have the genetics to get bulky. In women, that number is even smaller. People simply to not have the genetic make up with respects to skeletal muscle and bone structure to get that "bulky look." You can certainly add muscle and a bunch of body fat, but you won't fool many. You need to be blessed with the favorable combination of muscle fibers and other genetic traits. Thank mom and dad.

1. IT'S HARD!

Getting bulky takes an incredible amount of work and dedication! You have to resistance train consistently and the intensity and volume of your program is extreme. Most people (especially women) would have a difficult time. Body builders are incredibly dedicated and there is a reason they spend hours in the gym. You won't do that 3-4 days a week for an hour.


People, lift weights. Not only does it burn significant calories - if that's your goal - but you want to at least keep muscle you have and get back you some you've lost over the years of being sedentary and/or failed to resistance train.  Life gets better when you lift.

Be Elite friends.