Myth : lifting weights makes women bulky For some time now it’s been thought by lots of women that lifting weights will make them have big manly muscles and give them a “bulky” look. Some of this thought comes from marketing schemes of gyms and other fitness businesses trying to sell a product to women. The rest of it comes from women seeing what lifting weights does to men. So, lets begin there! Fact: Men produce At least 15 times more testosterone then women. Why does this matter? Testosterone is responsible for helping build muscle. That’s why professional body builders will often times take more testosterone to help them build more muscle so they can be the biggest male or female on stage.
That said, women in general , do not have enough testosterone (naturally) in them to become bulky from lifting weights. And the type of workout you do or how heavy you go will have no effect on that. The only way lifting heavy would make you look “bulkier” is if you build a bunch of muscle under your fat without ever losing fat. Which means it's really the excess fat that is causing the bulky look.
So does that mean you should wait to lose fat before you start trying to build muscle?
Absolutely not! The more muscle mass you have the easier it will make your fat loss journey. More muscle means more problems (in a good way) meaning your body has to work harder which means it’s burning more calories at rest.
Also , once you experience the desired fat loss you will have more of a “toned” look with that muscle now being revealed.
So, ladies, if you are after that very popular “toned” look, lift heavy weights (safely) with the goal of building muscle and eat accordingly. Being Toned involves having muscle.
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