WHY IS FEMALE MUSCLE SO IMPORTANT?
Metabolism and muscles: First, and perhaps most cogent, is the effect that weightlifting has on fat loss. The more muscle a woman has, the more calories she will burn at rest. So, basically, muscles speed up your metabolism, resulting in more effective fat loss.
Bone health: Many studies have shown that lifting weights regularly can increase bone density. Those of us in our 20s and 30s don’t think about this often, but someday you will. And won’t you be so proud of yourself that you lifted weights and cared for your bone density before you even knew you needed to?
Independence: Being strong makes everything easier. You know that furniture you need moved? Well, now you can do it yourself. How about those 15 bags of groceries? One trip from car to home—all you, girl.
I remember the moment I realized how important my strength was to my independence. I had just bought a twin bed for my son when he grew out of his toddler bed, and I didn’t have anyone to help me carry it into my apartment. I lugged it out of the back of my SUV and proceeded to carry it along the sidewalk, up the stairs, down the stairs and finally into his bedroom. It was exhausting, but I did it all by myself. To me, that kind of strength is priceless.
Confidence: Strong girls exude a confidence that is intoxicating. I happen to believe that this comes from the knowledge that you can accomplish pretty impressive feats at the gym. When you realize your outer strength, you can tap into your inner strength, and that begins to radiate. Confidence is a very attractive quality, and that gym confidence starts to leak into every other aspect of life.
I always say, if you can crush it in the gym, you can crush it at life.
YOU WON’T GET BIG. HERE’S WHY.
Hormones: Most women simply do not possess the level of testosterone necessary to support a bulky physique. Furthermore, any woman who does have a massively muscular physique is probably supplementing with hormones. While we all have different genetics, and some of us are prone to having more muscle density than others, as a general rule you have to train for bulk to get bulk.
Ask any bodybuilder and they will tell you that gaining muscle isn’t easy. You won’t turn into a she-hulk just because you perform squats with your body weight, but you will end up with a righteous backside.
Training model: Along those same lines as genetics, the way you train will play a significant role in determining how your body develops. Hypertrophy (increased bulk) is not as easy as you might think, and most bodybuilders work incredibly hard to make sure their training program supports maximum muscle growth in as short a time span as possible.
SO NOW WHAT?
Maybe I’ve convinced you. Perhaps now, you’re thinking you’re going to toss your three-pound weights, hop off the elliptical, and give this whole strength thing a shot. Where should you begin? Mid City Gym is one of the few Weight Lifting Gyms in NYC. Follow some basic guidelines about resistance training 2 – 4 times per week, or seek out one of our Personal Trainers to help design a workout for you!
