Lifting heavy things is fun.
Not only that, it is really good for you. It increases your balance and coordination; it ramps up your metabolism and makes you lean. Lifting weights helps to balance your hormones, improves your insulin sensitivity, elevates your mood and increases your bone density.
Strength determines the limits of physical ability. As we age, being strong is vital to independence. Once you cannot get up from sitting on your own, you become a candidate for assisted living. If you have falls due to lack of balance, coordination and leg strength, you are destined for the hospital or nursing home.
Being strong and mobile are essential components of a long happy, healthy life.
Despite all of this, I cannot tell you the number of times that I have heard women say that they would not lift weights for fear of getting “bulky.”
Ladies, I can sympathize. It was not so long ago that I had the same fears. I was always athletic in my youth and not in the tall, thin, graceful basketball player or ballet dancer way. I was short, sturdy and built for power.
I can remember many days in university, reading Women’s Health magazines, thinking about my thighs and wondering which of these aerobic exercises would transform me into a Victoria’s Secret model.
For years I stuck to the ‘cardio and light weights for lots of reps’ prescription and saw very little in the way of results. Sometimes I would tell myself that the thirty minutes running to nowhere on the treadmill was getting more fun or easier. It was not.
At the first big Life By Design conference, in the fall of 2011, I finally figured out the kind of movement that was right for my body. We had training sessions scheduled on both mornings of the seminar at the London Life By Design Strength and Conditioning Center.
At first, I was nervous with the new equipment and self-conscious about my awkwardness. Fortunately, most of the other people there were new to this style of training too. We all gave our best effort.
By the end of the hour I was tired, sweaty and really happy. I could not wait for our workout the next day. I can honestly say that was the first time in my life that I had ever looked forward to working out. It was so much fun. I was also really proud of myself for lifting more weight than I thought I could and pushing myself to be faster and go harder than I ever did working out on my own. Talk about a self-esteem boost!
Still, there was that little voice in the back of my head asking me if lifting heavy weights was going to make me thick and manly.
After much research and almost three years of personal experience here is my answer to that little voice:
The reality of the situation is that most women cannot get bulky or get huge muscles when they are trying to get that big. It takes a special mix of massive amounts of training (at high repetitions at less than maximum weights, I might add), plus supplements (often including testosterone and growth hormone) and a very strict dieting regiment to look like a body builder.
Even most men have trouble putting on significant muscle mass and they have twenty times more testosterone than women have.
Take it from a girl who lifts as much weight as she possibly can on a regular basis, who has lost ten pounds since she started training this way, who’s waist and thighs have gotten smaller as her lifts have gotten bigger – if you think you are going to be a she-hulk, it is not going to happen.
Being afraid to start CrossFit because you are afraid to get huge is like being afraid to pick up a tennis racquet because you are worried that turning into a professional tennis player will compromise your current job. Recreational athletes do not look like professional body builders. Ever.
What will happen? You will learn skills that you never thought yourself capable of learning. You will gain a little bit of muscle and a lot of strength. You will be able to carry your own groceries, open your own jars and fill out the back of your pants in a way that you will like. You will gain confidence in your self. You will be an example of a strong, capable woman for your daughters, granddaughters, nieces and other young women in your life. And you will probably have a ton of fun doing it.
If you want to learn how to lift weights in a way that is safe and effective but do not know where to start, we have lots of resources we can share. Please post a comment, send a message, or visit your nearest Life By Design Certified office. Our community is here to help you!
For more simple By Design recipes why not pick up your copy of the Eat By Design Cookbook. I’ve created it in the form of a 28-day meal plan (plus grocery lists!) so you don’t need to think about what’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner for the next month. Or you can grab the first 7 days FREE by clicking here.