“Will lifting weights make me bulky?” is one of the most common fears that we hear from women coming in to join our personal training program.
Just last Monday, we had a new member start with us that mentioned she did not want to get bulky.
And those are only the women that are actually coming in to talk to us about fitness. Which made us think, how many other women worry about this and never even make it through our doors, to get the help they need, because of this fear?
To answer that, let’s back up one step.
Why do we want to lift weights anyway?
Grab your coffee, kick back, the list of benefits people can get from lifting weights is long:
- You’ll torch body fat
- Your body will tone
- Combat depression and anxiety
- You’ll burn more calories post workout than you do with just cardio
- Less prone to injury
- You’ll boost your heart health
- Respond better to insulin
- Improve the way your body uses blood sugar
- Lose weight
- Lower your risk for heart disease
- Keep your independence as you get older
- Helps ward off age-related muscle loss
- You’ll strengthen your bones
- Promote mobility
- Prevent falls
- Combat cognitive decline
That list is scratching the surface. Don’t believe us? Google it. WebMD, Harvard Health, they are all saying the same thing.
Still there, or are you on your way in to schedule a weight training session!?
Oh right, you don’t want to get bulky.
Will lifting weights make me bulky?
Short Answer: No.
Longer Answer: No, because Testosterone.
While women have testosterone, it’s not anywhere near to the level of which men produce it.
When you weight train, women are shaping their bodies. You are toning your body, you are tightening it.
Then there’s math
You are burning calories and burning fat when you lift weights. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns even while at rest.
In order to add muscle, that would be considered bulky, your calorie intake would have to increase drastically. Now don’t get me wrong, you should eat more lean protein to help your body build muscle and burn the fat, but the amount you would have to eat in order to be considered bulky, would not be what you consume in just your breakfast, lunch and dinner.
People that lift weights in order to bulk up have a strict plan they are working off. Most likely working out twice a day, 6 days a week, with a huge calorie intake. They are going to physical therapists to help them with recovery, and basically live and breathe fitness and nutrition as their job.
That isn’t the plan we would put in place for you. What we want for you is to meet your goals, a leaner, more toned you, with all of the health benefits listed above. It’s really the perfect storm!
Don’t try this at home
Remember the phrase, don’t try this at home! That’s the one thing I would caution you about. Get your strength training on, but get help. Have someone qualified watch your form, do your programming, help you with your schedule, etc . We don’t want you going out to do all the things and ending up hurt.
If you need a coach, we got you. Book an appointment with us and we will get you on the right track. At the least, share this with the women in your lives that you would love to help live a longer, healthier, happier life!