NO, YOU WON’T GET BULKY AND LOOK LIKE A MAN!
Health goals for women have, what seems like forever, been a narrative of getting “lean” and getting “toned,” which has ushered a wave of cardio queens. Hitting the treadmills and ellipticals is all that was written about in the health magazines, so that’s what we stuck to and it’s created a disconnect between us and the weights!
At Body Masters Fit Club, we are an Omaha gym that guides people towards their fitness goal one class and one dumbell at a time. If you’re not seeing the results you want from strictly cardio, lunge into the world of strength training in today’s blog.
The Disconnect: Cardio Vs. Strength Training
A largely held belief by most women is that if they begin strength training they’re going to get big, bulky, and look like a man. They see covers of hugely muscled women with veins popping and have decided that picking up weights will lead to that physique.
The truth is, you will not become too bulky when you strength train. It may actually be the missing piece to your fitness goals.
So, let’s rewrite the narrative that weights are the enemy.
And also, we’re not saying that cardio is bad, if you love running, biking, or swimming and it lights you up, by all means do it, but keep in mind it may not be getting you to the results you want.
There is a place for both cardio and strength training. It’s not one versus the other!
Why All Women Should Strength Train
The gym can be an intimidating place if you’ve never strength trained, and we’ll touch on that topic in another post. But here’s what you need to know about how strength training will change your body, read about it below.
Strength Training Burns Calories
Whether you’re using the barbell or dumbells, if you’re incorporating more weight it’ll help spike your metabolism to burn more calories, thus torching fat! And, something you get with strength training over cardio is the slow burn of calories even after the training has ended.
Strength Training Helps You Avoid Injury
When you strength train it can help prevent injuries and improves your fitness in other areas such as cardio. Your muscles become stronger and you become more agile — clumsy mistakes like rolling your ankle or tripping can be better avoided.
Strength Training Supports Bone Health
Research has found that when women strength train three times per week, their bone mineral density increases which helps prevent bone issues women face such as osteopenia, osteoporosis, and fractures.
Strength Training Aids Your Daily Activities
Do you want to be independent and able to perform simple tasks such as moving furniture or carrying all your groceries in one fell swoop? Strength training can help you get there! The weight room easily translates to real-life situations.
Strength training has so many positive benefits for women, the above are only just a few! If you want better results — perhaps it’s in fat loss or gaining muscle — strength training may be your golden ticket!