Busting the Most Common Female Weightlifting and Bodybuilding Myths
By: Benedict Smythe
Submitted: 2008-10-31 05:14:53 | Word Count: 529
There are many myths that continue to surround weight training and bodybuilding among females. Some of these have hampered most women into trying bodybuilding. Here are some of the most common myths:
• Weight training makes a woman more masculine and bulky. Do not be misled by this common myth. Women do not produce testosterone as men do, therefore, it is impossible for women to increase their muscle sizes by simply carrying some weights. What deters most women from trying weightlifting is the appearance of most female bodybuilders. Remember that these women use anabolic steroids (also known as synthetic testosterone), hence, they tend to look more like males. Women who undergo weight training without anabolic steroids only get leaner muscles and cellulite free bodies.
[ advertisement ]
• Weight training can make women stiff and muscular. This is far from the truth as weight training increases a woman’s flexibility instead. Dumbbell presses, flexes, and chin ups stretches all contribute to flexibility and not stiffness.
• Exercising increases a woman’s chest size. Breasts of women are composed of fatty tissues, thus, it is not possible to increase breast size just by simply lifting some weights. In fact, if your body goes under 12 of body fat, your breast size may even decrease. The confusion started because weight training increases the size of a person’s back (not the cup size).
• Weight training would turn fats into muscles. As much as metal cannot be turned into gold, this is also true of fats turning into muscles. Weight training makes you lose fat while developing muscles—these fats do not turn to muscles!
• Stopping weight training could turn muscles into flab. As much as fats don’t become muscles, muscles also do not become fat as soon as you let go of weight training. Remember that fats and muscles are two, separate types of tissues. The reason why people seemingly get fat after giving up on weight training is because most of them also give up on their diets and fitness programs as soon as they stop lifting weights.
• The only suitable exercise for women is cardio exercise and when they do decide to lift weights, they shouldn’t be heavy weights. Cardio exercises only provide fat burning. Once most of the body fat is gone, muscles can be further developed through weightlifting. Muscles respond to resistance training, so weightlifting is great training even for women.
• For as long as you do some exercises, you can eat anything and as much as you want. Not to burst your bubble but this is isn’t true at all. This is only applicable to people who have high metabolic rates or the so called hardgainers. These people don’t have to exercise just to attain their desired weight or figure. If they don’t eat much, they can either maintain or lose weight. For all other people, the formula is quite simple—the more calories you eat, the more weight you gain.
Women should train hard not just to have a good looking body but also to be healthy and fit. So, go on, lift some weights and discard all inhibitions that you might have regarding weight fitness training.
