The most common question I get asked by women about weight training is this… will I bulk up and look all muscly?
Well, first of all, we need a lot of testosterone to even start bulking up and that is predetermined by our genetics – as in, being male or female. On average, men produce roughly 16 times more testosterone than women, with some research even indicating the number could actually be greater than 25 times more.
The second point is that having strength does not mean you need to look large. Some of the strongest people are rock climbers, yogis and ballerinas!
So, what is strength training and why do we need it?
By definition, strength training is a type of physical exercise which specialises in the use of resistance to induce muscular contraction, building muscle strength, anaerobic endurance and size of skeletal muscles.
We need strength training for a number of reasons – to increase bone density, increase muscle tendon and ligament strength and toughness, assist in the prevention of injury and general wellness.
A muscle will only strengthen when forced to work beyond its normal capacity.
There are three ways to overload a muscle:
- Resistance = adding weight to the barbell
- Number of repetitions with a particular weight
- Number of sets of exercise
Using different exercise equipment is also key. Here are three to try:
- Dumbbells, weights and/or body weight exercises
- Resistance bands
- TRX suspension systems
So now that we know we need to overload a muscle to get stronger, how can we do this without feeling like a bodybuilder?
A few repetition guidelines:
- Repetitions in the 1–5 range build dense muscle and strength.
- Repetitions in the 6–12 range build somewhat equal amounts of muscular strength and muscular endurance.
- Repetitions in the 12+ range build muscular endurance and size (as a general guide, how much you load a muscle depends on what outcome you’d like to see).
By using the repetition guidelines above, this should assist you in setting your weight room goals. Weight training has so many benefits to your health that the fear of looking like a bodybuilder should be the last thought going through your mind!
Train for the end result and that is – your health.
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