Ladies: Lift heavy and fear not

Because of a significantly lower level of testosterone than that of males, it is almost impossible for a woman to look “hulky.” 

While more women are embracing strength training, many women are afraid of using heavier weights because of that fear — the fear of waking up the next morning and having bulked up.

Some avoid challenging themselves entirely because of this popular myth: A common sight at gyms often is seeing women who use light, unchallenging hand weights and perform almost endless repetitions. While this can help increase muscle endurance, it doesn’t build real muscle strength or definition, so the benefits are minimal.

It’s not to say that there aren’t any bulky women out there, anywhere — clearly there are some. But a lot of the fear of lifting heavier comes from the belief that you might instantly, and unintentionally, turn into the woman on the cover of a bodybuilding magazine. It is important to note that these individuals have chosen to pursue this look and have worked hard over a prolonged period of time to achieve it — and it is a process often aided by taking hormones or chemicals that boost muscle development since, as mentioned earlier, women do not build muscle as easily as men do.

Contrary to this, there are many benefits for women lifting heavier weights that are challenging with fewer repetitions. Going heavier will allow more toned muscles and an increased metabolism — the more muscle mass, the better.

Where bulky isn’t trendy, being lean or “toned” is. The thing to remember, though, is that by challenging yourself and going a little heavier in your strength-training regimen, you are actually taking steps toward getting the toned body you want. Just remember: The toned or lean look is essentially the end product of more muscle and less body fat.

Generally speaking, for each pound of muscle you gain, you burn 35 to 50 more calories each day. Studies suggest adding weight training to your cardio routine increases after-burn, so that once you have finished your exercising for the day, your body will continue to burn calories. 

In one study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, women who lifted more weight for fewer reps burned nearly twice as many calories during the two hours after their workout than when they did more reps with a lighter weight.

Heavy-weight training helps to reverse the aging process for both women and men. The average person loses about 7% of lean body mass every 10 years after age 20. 

Because muscle is our body’s furnace for burning fat, it is no wonder then that most people gain weight as they age, and this causes all kinds of health problems for men and women, reducing their quality of life.

Don’t buy into the myth. 

Push yourself and try something different. Enjoy the benefits that lifting heavy weights can have on your metabolism and your body. 

The math is simple — excluding temporary weight gain from water retention, the only way to gain weight is to consume more calories than you burn. Lifting heavy weights burns calories — a lot of them.

So make it count, get out of your comfort zone and pick up those heavy weights.

Gina Denison is a certified personal trainer and the owner of Winter Garden Fitness, 18 N. Boyd St., in downtown Winter Garden. She can be reached via email at [email protected].