Why Women Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Lifting Weights

Women have come forward leaps & bounds when it comes to including strength training into their fitness routines. Nowadays, we’re seeing more and more women in the weight room, in CrossFit gyms, and/or under the squat rack.

Despite this incredible move towards weight training becoming more common for women, there is still an untold number of them who are hesitant when it comes to adding strength training to their fitness regimes — the most common reason is that they don’t want to get too bulky.

So what’s the deal? Is weight training for women just a recipe for overdeveloped, body builder, manly-looking muscles, or is muscle building not something to be feared after all?

Why Women Need to Embrace Growing Muscle Mass

Let’s cut to the chase: strength training will in no way turn you into a bulky, muscular bodybuilder. Even if that was your goal, it is a serious and quite difficult goal to achieve. For starters, women have about 10x less testosterone than men do, meaning they’re just not hormonally set up to build the kind of muscle mass that men can.

Instead of fearing muscle gains through strength training, females should not should strive for it! Here’s why:

• Achieve that ‘Toned’ Look
  For most people, toned is simply a term used to describe a long, lean, sleek, defined look. The good news is that this can be achieved by growing muscle mass in combination with shedding some body fat to reveal those muscles. It’s a winning combination that weight training (+ a focus on good nutrition) can provide.   

• Avoid Injury
  It’s not all about looks… After all, a functional body is a healthy one. By including weight training in your fitness practice and building muscle, you can can not only relieve back, knee and shoulder pain, but also prevent it. You’ll strengthen your core (which is important for so much more than showing off a 6-pack and improve your posture, your bone health, and so much more.

• Feel Strong & Capable
  Though women may start with strength training to change their physical appearance, it is more often not the psychological and emotional benefits that keep them coming back for more… There is something about weight training that leaves you feeling not just physically capable, but confident and empowered!
  
  Note: this is arguably the best reason on this list, which is why I’ve saved it for last.

The final verdict: women should NOT be scared of muscle gains from strength training. Building muscle is a goal every woman interested in fitness should consider aiming for — not simply for the benefits of a well-defined physique, but also for the mental and emotional benefits that strength training can add to everyday life!