Month: August 2014

Myths vs Facts – 2: “Strength training makes women big and bulky”

FACT or MYTH : ” Lifting weights will make a woman look like a man!”

 Fact #1: Women who lift weights will look LEAN and TONED, not big.

Ladies, relax… lifting weights will not make you bulky.That is such a big misconception and nothing could be further from the truth. Naturally, women don’t have the amount of testosterone necessary to build big muscles.  Even men (who have about 15 to 20 times more testosterone than women) have a hard time gaining big muscles which is why steroids and other muscle-enhancing drugs are so popular. Those female bodybuilders on the covers of fitness magazines are all chemically altered, that’s why they look like men!

However, a woman can still appear larger if she is increasing her lean muscle mass, but not decreasing her body-fat percentage at the same time. The difference between a “toned” look and a “bulky” look usually depends on how much “excess fat” you have on your body. The “toned” appearance comes from decreasing your body-fat percentage and removing the fat that is covering a well-developed muscle. Therefore, a clean  diet combined with a smart dose of cardiovascular exercise and strength training is your ticket to a leaner and stronger body.

So, go ahead and hit the weight-room ladies! You can thank me later…:-)

Myths vs. Facts – 1: “Your weight can fool you!”

FACT or MYTH : “If you’re gaining weight, you’re getting fatter!”

scale_with_tape_measure_md_wm

 Fact #1: “Don’t let your weight fool you, the number on the scale can be misleading!”

As I constantly remind my clients, “being lighter doesn’t always mean you are fitter,” or gaining weight isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The number on the scale says nothing about your body composition and it can’t tell you how much of your weight is muscle, fat, bone, or water. A petite but more muscular person may weigh more than a bigger person with more fat.

 

Your fitness goal shouldn’t be to just lose weight. Your fitness goal should be to change your body composition by increasing your lean muscle mass and decreasing your body fat percentage.

 

As you start weight training, you will build more muscle mass and gain muscle strength. Keep in mind that muscle has a greater density and takes up less space than fat. So, your weight may initially go up even though your body fat percentage is decreasing and you are getting leaner. You can weigh more while your clothes fit looser! Don’t let the number on the scale fool you. If you’re eating a clean, healthy diet and keeping up with your workouts, the extra pounds will eventually come off as your body’s metabolic rate gradually increases. Consistency is key; just keep moving and results will follow!