There’s a big myth that women have to train different then men. They don’t. They can lift weights, do the same exercise, build a little muscle, become stronger and still be 100% female. Building muscle isn’t all that easy right? You don’t just do some weights and have a 21″ inch arms the next month.
My point is…
Women can do the same things as men do. And even lift heavy if they desire to grow muscle rather then maintain.
A little muscle tone is not a bad thing right? And the only way to grow muscle is to stimulate it. I’m not suggesting females go bench 315 lbs tomorrow but there’s no need to grab the pink weights and do 100 reps either while they sit there looking unchallenged and bored.
If they are worried about a particular body part taking over and making them out of proportion, then just hit them lightly and focus on the rest of the body. Just maintain them. Do not push or challenge them and they will just stay the same while the rest of her body grows, adapts and changes to fit her desired look.
I see women all the time at the gym with the tiniest weight. Because they don’t want to get big and bulky like a man. But they also look bored and just doing it because somebody told them lifting weights was something they should do.
Unless your one of the few females that has as much testosterone as most men, it’s not going to happen.
A key to muscle growth is testosterone. Females do not have
high levels of it, therefore, even if they worked out like men do, with heavy weights, she is not going to suddenly become manly, bulky and bulging with muscles.
Granted, there are some females who do have high levels but it’s pretty rare. Don’t worry…
Despite what you may have heard… there’s really no such thing as toning. I’m sure to get flack for that statement but let me explain. There’s three things you can do to a muscle.
-Build it
-Maintain it
-Lose it
Toning is really for most people, the process of building muscle so there’s something to show… and once they are happy with the appearance, they maintain it. For all these reasons…
It’s important to understand that when you pick up a weight, the main goal is to work the muscle. If it’s not at all challenging, then why bother? Resistance training has a purpose. To keep your muscles healthy, your bones strong and your mobility. The older you get, the more muscle you want as it will keep you living healthier. And the older you get the more muscle you tend to los’e. Another reason to build muscle through your life and not let it wither away because of atrophy.
But I’m getting way ahead of myself! Many women are worried about getting bulky if they workout weight weights.
There’s a simple solution to that. How about just build muscle until she’s satisfied with her appearance. Once she reaches that level, she can back off and just maintain. At that point, there’s no need to stimulate new muscle growth but you can use resistance training to maintain an appearance.
This is where ‘toning’ comes in. Toning to me at least, means maintaining the muscle’s natural tone through resistance. Keeping it in the shape it is currently.
Also keep in mind that a muscle will appear more tone when body fat is removed from the area.
So that’s why cardio is an important aspect as well if she is looking to lean up. But as I’ve said before, there can be such a thing as too much cardio. So no need for marathon sessions please.
Bottom line…
In general women do not need any different routines then a man. It’s the myth that has been around forever that men lift weights, women do cardio. It’s simply wrong.
Marc David is a bodybuilder and author of the, Beginner’s Guide to Fitness and Bodybuilding. You can get info on Marc’s e-book at:Beginning Bodybuilding [http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com]. To get Marc’s free e-zine, visit JustAskMarc.com [http://www.justaskmarc.com]
