A lot of women when we work out are afraid to lift heavy weights because we are going to get bulky. Well that cannot happen and I'm here to let you in on a secret the guys have the weight room area figured out for the most part. Ladies we can take a page from their book. Below I will tell you what we can learn from how a man trains.
1. Women you will NOT get bulky.
That is the number one fear of my female clients who were never taught how to lift weights or what lifting weights can do for your body.
Ladies you will NOT look like the above picture contrary to what you believe. This particular female worked hard for this body and trained to get herself this way it does not come from just lifting 3 times a week for 20-30 minutes. You have to eat extremely healthy to get this lean and be lifting weights almost daily. So in a nutshell this is an extremely hard physique for women to get to kudos to those who take the time and dedication to get there, as most will not even come close to that.
2. Lift your upper body ladies.
Quite a few males lift what we call the beach muscles. If they take their shirts off they look impressive, the biceps, the chest, abs. Sometimes they forget the rear muscles groups but we as women will not. Make sure when you are lifting you don't just lift lower body and work your butt. Don't forget about the arms. When women get older they complain about the chicken arms, or waving skin underneath their arms. Working those triceps helps tone up the backside. Fun fact the Triceps makes up 70% of the upper arm so work the back of the arm to tone up your arm in general.
3. Play Games
You will always see some pick up basketball games, football games, soccer or even hockey games in the early mornings or on weekends. Most of these leagues are adult males. I know it gets harder for women to be involved in these leagues after kids but tell your hubby to watch the kids for an evening because its your volleyball night. You get a workout in plus you get to mingle with friends at the same time. It's a great stress release as well.
4. Be more focused on building muscle than in losing fat
Far to often we are concerned with how much fat am I burning when I'm lifting weights? I should be doing cardio right now I would be burning so many more calories. Well actually the more muscle you have the more calories you burn at rest. So pumping iron and getting stronger will lead to more overall calorie burn in the long run. So don't be afraid to get in that weight room with the big boys and show them what you can do!
5. I don't know what to do at the gym besides cardio
Honestly this is not just a women's issue but a men's issue as well. I just had a conversation today with a guy who is doing the same routine he learned in high school because he doesn't know what else to do. So if your walking into the gym without a plan you probably will throw around a few weights and call it good. Ask a trainer for help or even hire a trainer if your completely clueless. You will just get frustrated if you don't know what your doing and want to quit going to the gym. The trainers are there to help you tell them what your goals are and ask what are some exercises I should be doing to help me reach those goals. A good trainer will be able to help you out.
