Did you know: Myths busted about weight lifting for women

Hellooo… I’m so happy you’re here!

As a subscriber you know that weekly Thoughtbox topics range from nutrition and strength training, to sleep, breathing, and recipes. This month I’m introducing Did you know? Fact, Fiction, or It depends: Myths busted about weight lifting for women.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions, so ask anything! Email polli.getupkeepmoving@gmail.com.

Every few weeks the topic will be inspired by you, and conversations I have had with my clients. The information I share will be supported by research, including links for a deeper dive.

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Here we go!

Fact, Fiction, or It Depends

Some women believe it’s possible to get “bulky” if they lift heavy weight. Fiction:

When a new client says, ” I don’t want to get bulky, she’s looking at me and it takes a minute to process. I lift heavy shit (or if you prefer, lift heavy stuff). Thank you Dr. Stacy Sims for your wisdom on training strength through perimenopause and beyond.

I don’t think of myself as “bulky”, and I don’t think these women think so either. They’re just repeating a theme that that we’ve heard forever: the desirability to remain small, slim, take up less space. I used to think of myself as a big girl, chunky, and I get it.  I was sturdy and strong when I was growing up. It’s taken half my life to dispel that as a negative image, and love what my body can do.

After all, I grew up with Twiggy, then Kate Moss, and now unbelievably “heroin chic” has been revived.

How is it possible that women’s bodies are used as a trend, a style??

polli backsquat 4
Feeling strong, taking up space happily.

Let’s put that crap to rest right here.

The myth that won’t die. Workout routines designed for women often include light weight (or just body weight exercises) and lots of reps. The conventional wisdom is that these smaller weights will help “tone” your muscles without making them big.

Toning is not a thing.

Some women still believe that they can “tone” or spot reduce. Fiction:

Contrary to what you might see and read from influencers, there is no way to “tone” a muscle. Muscle grows (hypertrophy) with resistance/weight training, and it can appear as “definition” (or the ridiculous term “sculpted”). Due to genetics it’s more visible for some people than others. It’s impossible to spot reduce, to tell your body to lose fat in a certain area. Appropriate fat loss and simultaneous muscle growth will make muscle more visible. This article nails it, calling out the BS: A ‘toned’ physique is a combination of having enough muscle and low enough body fat for the muscle to be visible.

And this! You can reduce belly fat by weight lifting.

Some women fear risk of injury if they strength train with heavy weight. It Depends:

polli backsquat 3
Heavy squats are essential in a strength program.

You could more likely be injured as you age if you DON’T strength train with heavy weight. Remember heavy is relative to YOU and the exercise, and the number of sets and reps.

It’s highly unlikely to be injured from weight lifting with good mechanics, trained by a qualified and knowledgeable coach, in a safe environment. You could more easily be injured making a bed, or reaching up to a high cabinet.

Effective, efficient, and safe weight lifting protocols will reduce likelihood of injury. Weight training and the weightlifting sport are markedly safer than many other sports, certainly when supervised by qualified people. The most efficient way to get strong is to challenge muscles. The last couple of reps in a set should be very difficult, but you can do them with good form. That means that if weight is lighter it will require many more reps to get to that point. Learn to lift efficiently, effectively, and safely to maximize your time, and to experience results in both the short term and long term.

The number on the scale might go up from lifting heavy. It Depends:

The number on the bathroom scale is not reflective of the intensity of your workouts, your body composition, or your level of fitness. Your weight on the scale may increase while your body fat percentage decreases. Muscle is heavier and denser than fat. Adjust nutrition to support the level of workouts you’re doing – get lean and build muscle.

Women need to lift. Fact:

Why women should lift: 

  1. Build more muscle (which btw connects bone, ligaments, and tendons).
  2. Increase bone density
  3. Reduce the likelihood of injury from daily living or accidents.
  4. Build confidence in every area of life (and feel so bad ass when you can haul a sofa without help!).
  5. The more skeletal muscle an individual has, the higher their resting metabolic rate will be. Similarly, having healthy amounts of skeletal muscle improves insulin sensitivity. Both will help you lose more weight over time, if weight loss is your goal.

More muscle enhances metabolism. Fact:

Building more muscle mass is one thing that can increase a person’s metabolic rate.

  • Total muscle mass, along with your genetic makeup are the strongest determinants of Basal Metabolic Rate.
  • With a higher BMR muscle burns calories even at rest. This means that the more muscle mass you have, the higher your BMR will be.
  • Muscle burns more calories than fat.
  • Muscle uses fat for fuel.
  • Strength training exercises can boost metabolism by building muscle tissue.
  • In addition, strength training (lifting heavy) can result in additional calories burned post-exercise – this effect is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). After intense workouts, the body requires more oxygen to restore its resting state.
  • High-intensity interval training (HIIT) may also elevate metabolism for some time after a workout. HIIT involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by brief periods of rest or low-intensity activity.

And finally, the pervasive, and frankly ridiculous myths about women weight lifting. 

5 weight lifting myths that need to go away immediately.

  1. It’s dangerous
  2. You’ll get bukly
  3. You can’t lose weight by lifting
  4. Light weight and lots of reps “tones’ muscles
  5. It’s scary and intimidating

I can’t wait to read your thoughts and questions!

x

Polli

 

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