Even with changing fitness trends and increase in awareness, still there is a huge challenge to make majority of the women working out in the gym to train for strength and lift weights. The phobia of getting “BULKY” or “HUGE” by lifting weights still haunts them stopping them from lifting weights not realizing the benefits of strength training. So does weight training make women bulky ? The answer is NO. Let us first understand the benefits of weight training in women and then address the issue :

Benefits of strength training in women are :

1. Prevention of Osteoporosis : Osteoporosis is a medical problem commonly found in women in which the bones become porous making them highly prone to fractures. Strength training increases bone density and hence prevents osteoporosis.

2. Fat Loss : Weight training is the fastest way to lose fat. It increases the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) due to “EPOC” or “Afterburn” effect,  which means that the body’s caloric requirements go up in a bid to repair the damaged muscle tissues. If the nutrition is followed correctly, the excess caloric requirements will come from the existing fat stores while retaining the all important lean muscle tissue.

3. Increase in Functional Strength : Doing compound exercises improves the functional strength of a person. Daily activities become easier to perform, you feel energetic and up for any task ahead.

4. Best anti-aging medicine in the world.

5. Easier child birth.

6. Less stress during menopause.

7. Better functioning and coordination of all body systems.

8. Enhances mood and reduces stress.

9. Improves overall strength.

10. Retains or improves muscle mass and strengthens the joints (unlike doing ONLY cardio).

11. Improves posture.

Does weight training make women “BULKY” ?

NO. Women have more “Estrogen” in the body and very insignificant amount of “Testosterone”.

Testosterone is the hormone which is responsible for building muscles and estrogen causes more fat deposition. Hence, women can never build enough muscle like men, no matter at whatever intensity they workout at and cannot make them look bulky. Infact, muscles are compact & dense tissues and not bulky tissues.

Weight training will only make women look lean and toned and of course functionally stronger. Infact, it is all the more important for women.  Women, like men, should pick up weights and keep progressing in terms of poundage/reps/speed/range of motion to progressively increase the workload.

Progressing in terms of lifting heavier weights is important as the body adapts to the same load with time causing ‘plateaus’ and the results stop.

So the secret to those beautiful curves & toned body – Lift weights, get stronger, follow correct nutrition, take adequate rest !!

Abhinav Malhotra

Founder, CEO and Master Coach

Ballistic Kettlebell Fitness Academy