“But Lifting Will Make Me Bulky!”

The Debunk Diaries Part 1

I am sure nearly every woman on the planet, has either heard this and thought it was true or heard this and want to come at whoever said it with a ten-foot pole.

Let’s have a look at some facts around this subject and see if we can change the haters minds.

FACT: Women build muscle more slowly than men

·         Testosterone is one of the major hormonal drivers around muscle gain and women naturally have much less Testosterone than men. Women will therefore gain muscle at a slower rate.

FACT: Lifting changes our body composition

·         Lifting weights increases our lean mass, while helping to reduce our fat mass. This creates a more defined or “toned” look as opposed to a bodybuilder’s physique (hint: the bodybuilders you are thinking of are probably doing more than just lifting weights and eating their protein).

FACT: Substantial muscle growth requires the right conditions

This includes:

·         Progressive heavy lifting over a significant period of time.

·         Consuming adequate protein and overall calories to support muscle growth and repair.

·         Individual genetics that are in favour of larger muscle development.

FACT: Women who look very muscular usually train VERY hard SPECIFICALLY to look like that

·         This involves years of specialised programs, nutrition plans and as I alluded to before, the potential use of performance enhancing drugs.

·         This physique is the result of intentional muscle building efforts, not just lifting a few weights a couple of times a week.

FACT: Lifting can actually make you look smaller

·         Muscle tissue is much denser than fat tissue.

·         Gaining muscle while loosing some body fat can lead to an overall smaller and firmer physique.

·         Feeling “bulky” can just be the result of extra fat layers on top of the muscle tissue. Lose some body fat and a nice lean physique will be present underneath.

This idea of becoming “bulky” is when we confuse lifting weights for all the health benefits with maximising muscle size. They are two very different concepts and require two different approaches inside and outside of the gym.