Is it true that lifting weights makes women appear less feminine?

 So, when I'm talking to new female clients at the gym, I frequently hear this. Many women's fitness routines include extensive cardio sessions and a few extremely mild workouts with high reps. "Why are you training the way you are?" I inquire. The majority of the time, the customer will tell me that they want to reduce weight and tone up their body.

Is it true that lifting weights makes women appear less feminine?

Some people go into greater depth about how they want to tone their arms, have smaller, more defined legs, or have a flatter tummy with some muscular tone behind it. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as spot reduction; it is physiologically impossible for a human to shed body fat in a single location of the body, but that is a discussion for another time.

When I ask if they do any weight training, the majority of women respond no, or yes, but only with small weights and high reps. Why is this the case, though? Many women avoid the weight room because they are scared that lifting hard will result in considerable muscle gain when all they want to do is tone. It's difficult to say where the concept of "toning" came from because there isn't one.

Many women try for a toned appearance by lifting weights to build muscle underneath and then shedding body fat over the top through a well-structured eating program. Hours of aerobic and high-rep, low-weight training will simply frustrate you and yield minimal improvements. The majority of my female clients admit to avoiding weight loss in the past because they were afraid of becoming "bulky" or having muscles like men. While I'm sure we've all seen photos of female bodybuilders, and I admire the dedication and hard work they put into their sport, women can't appear that way after just a few weeks of weight training. Why doesn't every guy who lifts look like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Phil Heath if it's that simple?

While a man can gain muscle quickly and readily, the same cannot be said for women. But why is it the case? Hormones are at the root of everything. Testosterone is the primary hormone responsible for muscle growth, and while women do have some testosterone, it is nowhere near as high as it is in men. As a result, they should be able to gain muscle, but not as much or as quickly as men.

So, when ladies lift weights, what happens? They gradually gain muscle, which aids in the improvement of their appearance. More muscular tissue in the legs helps shape the thighs and bottom, and more arm development can aid in the battle against bingo wings. Muscle tissue in the shoulders and back will give the appearance of a smaller waist and aid in the creation of the hourglass figure.

What about body fat, though? While lifting weights burns calories, the only method to lose body fat is to create a calorie deficit through a well-structured dietary program, as discussed in a recent article entitled "the one diet that actually works." If you decide you want to seem more toned and diet extremely hard to lose fat while maintaining little muscle underneath, you will eventually wind up looking like a skeleton. You can achieve the toned and "wonder woman" shape you desire by adding some well-defined muscle.

To summarize, ladies should lift weights because it will help them achieve the "toned" body that many women desire by helping them shed fat and get in the best form possible.

Contact Valkyrie Fitness today to get started on building up your training and nutrition program to reach your dream body.

Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for more content shortly.

George

Contact Valkyrie Fitness today to get started on setting up your weight training and nutrition program to help you build "toned" muscle and lose fat, be in the greatest condition of your life, and attain your ideal physique.