Strength Training for Women

I know this girl. She used to go the gym 5 days a week. Alternating cardio machines for 90 mins. She wasn’t overweight. But neither was she “toned” as she desired. She was skinny & fat.

Yes that exists: skinny & fat. That’s how you become when you don’t give your body the nutrition it needs for recovery. Your body burns muscles & holds fat.

I told her once to get into strength training & eat more healthy. But I got the classic response: “I don’t want to end up bulky & muscular like a man”.

You Won’t Get Bulky. Remember: your bodyweight depends on the amount of calories you eat & expend. Strength training will make you gain muscle & lose fat. But you’ll stay at the same bodyweight unless you start eating more.

Women have lower testosterone levels than men. Muscle mass & strength depend on your testosterone levels. The only way women can get as muscular as man is by using steroids or pro-hormones.

Benefits for Women. I wrote about the reasons to starts strength training in the past. They’re the same for women:

Less Fat. More muscles, decreased body fat at the same bodyweight.
Balanced Physique. Many women are skinny in the upperbody & bulky in their legs. Strength training will balance your physique.
Increased Bone Density. Lifting weights prevents osteoporosis.
Blood Circulation. Helps combat cellulites on thighs & glutes.
More strength. Pregnancy, holding baby, householdery,… gets easier.
Fun. Women really like sports from my experience, especially when they have fun while getting results.
Physical Activity. Whether it is strength training or something else: you need physical activity to stay “sane”.

How Women Should Train. Same as men. Same exercises. Same sets & reps. Same programs. If your goal is toning up & losing fat, strength is your tool.

Focus on getting stronger on the Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift, Overhead Press& Pull-up.

Women’s Results. The difference in testosterone levels will influence the results you’ll achieve as a woman. In general:

Increased muscle mass. But less than a man.
Decreased body fat. 16% for women is the same as 10% for men.
Increased strength. But again less than a man.

In terms of physique, look at the women at CrossFit. Example picture top:Annie. They’re athletic, in shape & not bulky. Their secret is simple: training hard, consistently & eating healthy.