WOMEN ON WEIGHTS, PART I

How do women get that sleek, tight, non-bulky physique? What is the secret to 'toning'? That is a common goal I hear from women. We want to tighten up our butts, get rid of that stuff hanging off the back of our arms, lose the bra fat, and more. But we definitely don't want to bulk up. The typical woman with these goals will do lots and lots of cardio and use 'light weights' for their arms, thighs, and stomach.

Is this you?
If so, are you achieving your goals?
Here's why you're NOT, and what you're better off doing.

First, let's define what 'toning' and 'tightening' means. When you look at someone who looks toned you are looking at muscle with a small layer of fat on top. The muscle is what looks tight and the fat softens it up a bit so you're not looking at a skeleton. If you are looking to tone that means you want to reduce the amount of fat covering up your muscles. That may or may not mean you need to actually lose weight. If you lost 5 pounds of fat but gained 5 pounds of muscle you would be smaller and tighter without losing any weight. This is because muscle takes up much less space than fat does (not because muscle 'weighs more' than fat. A pound is a pound). To tone you'll need a small increase in muscle mass as well, especially if you are over the age of 26. Studies have shown that after this age people- men and women- begin losing muscle mass.

Most women are worried about "bulking up," of course. Don't worry- women do not have the testosterone needed to build muscle easily. Women have 1/10 the testosterone levels that men do and testosterone is key to building large muscles.1 T.D. Fahey, author of Weight Training for Men and Women, says, "Some women are concerned that they will develop large muscles from weight training. Most studies show that women do not develop big muscles...Evidence suggests that it is difficult for women to gain a large amount of muscle without training intensely over many years. Weight training is particularly beneficial for women because it helps prevent bone and muscle loss with aging and maintains fat free weight during weight control programs."2

Don't believe it? Melissa Di Bernardo, Planet Fitness member and recently-named Miss New York Figure and Bodybuilding Champion, is often asked if she is scared of bulking up: "They always say, 'Aren't you afraid you're going to get bulky?' My response is usually something along the lines of 'I only wish I could get bulky'; and then they look at me like I have three heads. I love it!....If I had a nickel for every time I had to explain to a new member that women do NOT bulk up like men when they weight train, I could have retired already." Considering Melissa struggles to put on muscle and she is TRYING to, I don't think the rest of us ladies need worry!

Okay, so far we know we need to lose bodyfat and gain muscle mass. As many of the people Jon and I talk to in the gym already know, cardio (aerobic exercise) is NOT the solution to bodyfat loss. Yes, you will burn some bodyfat off with cardio, but without weight training you will also burn off muscle mass- something you do NOT want. Why? Muscle tissue is what burns most of our calories. The less muscle mass you have the less calories you burn, resulting in a slow metabolism and those extra saddlebags you just can't seem to lose. What's worse is that eventually you'll lose so much muscle mass from cardio that you'll plateau in your fat loss efforts.....and then GAIN bodyfat due to your stunted metabolism! So, cardio certainly helps, but it is not the total solution. For best results using cardio, interval training is noted for helping bodyfat loss (read about it in part 2). As Melissa says, " I found that I am now able to spend less time on the cardio deck and more time with the weights and I have actually lost weight and completely changed the shape of my body."

I can tell you from my own experience losing weight that while cardio certainly helped, I didn't really begin dropping pounds until I began doing more weight training and LESS cardio. My current weight loss can be measured in a loss of 6 sizes, 6% less bodyfat, 15 pounds of fat lost, and 8 pounds of muscle gained.

References:

1Randall L. Jensen, www.physsportsmed.com
2Weight Training For Men and Women 4th Edition, Fahey, T.D.