Resistance Training for Women

“I just want to get toned” “I don’t want to get too bulky” and other female-socialization fitness myths to dispel and debunk!

Both Strength & Cardio Training are Important but it’s Equally Important to understand How the Body Adapts to each!

The pervasive fear of “getting bulky” from lifting weights as a biological female is real! Let’s talk about this fear from an evidence-based perspective to understand and educate ourselves and dispel this fitness myth once and for all!

First off, the common verbiage about wanting to “just get more toned” as a female is just that…verbiage. The idea of “getting toned” a particular phrase or word choice that females tend to use more than males, and it speaks to the common female socialization to be small and attractive, as well as to confusion over what exactly is happening in the body when we engage in different types of training.

Types of Training and Adaptations they Create in the Body

There is MUCH more to this, but, TL;DR — cardio and strength training create different results because they lead to different adaptations in the body.

Cardiovascular conditioning sends the the nervous system the message to become more efficient. Short term, cardio burns a lot of calories during the workout; long term, however, it sends the body the message that you need to have endurance; so, your body adapts by making your calories last longer to facilitate those feats of cardio endurance. While cardiovascular conditioning is very important for overall health, if done in the absence of strength training, many people will experience diminishing returns, weight plateaus or even weight gain as their bodies become more efficient with caloric intake, and need less fuel to perform the same amount of work.

Strength & resistance training, meanwhile, sends the nervous system the message to get stronger. Short term, you don’t burn as many calories during a workout; however, long term, as you keep sending your nervous system the message you need to get stronger (by lifting progressively heavier weights), the body adapts by adding more lean muscle mass. Lean muscle mass takes up less space on the body than fat mass does, so you become smaller as you become stronger. This, in short, is body recomposition. While it can take time to build muscle, it is worth the effort; the more lean muscle mass you have on your frame, the more calories you burn at rest, and the more food you can consume without getting into a caloric surplus and putting on weight.

Let’s Be Clear with our Language AND why “Weight Loss” is not a Good Goal

So how do we avoid the trap of diminishing returns from increasingly efficient cardio without bulking up as we add muscle? First off, we must drop the confusing language about “getting toned” and be clear — you can either increase muscle size and/or you can decrease body fat.

Second, there are 2 key factors influencing body recomposition adaptation: progressive resistance training coupled with evidence-based nutritional strategies.

Image Courtesy of NSCA

Together, fewer calories will result in a caloric deficit while resistance training will send a message to your nervous system that you need to be strong (a message to hold on to your lean body mass/muscle).

Since you will hold on to muscle, once you are in a caloric deficit, you will see a decrease in your body fat and the # on the scale will go down (notice that worded this way, weight loss is situated exactly where it should be in the equation: dead last — as a side effect of progressive resistance training and behavior change with nutrition.

Weight loss alone is a terrible goal, because it isn’t a behavior. It’s an outcome; ideally, a side effect of slow, sustainable changes to things like your caloric intake (prioritizing protein, including the right amount of carbs for energy needs based on your daily activity level, and adding healthy fats for flavor / satiety), paired with intentional, consistent and progressive resistance training.

Men vs. Women Re: Resistance Training

While men have more Type II muscle fibers that can lead to greater hypertrophy (increase in muscle size), and higher testosterone levels (another necessary ingredient to increase muscle size), women can also experience huge benefits from resistance training, and, unit for unit, men and women actually have the same ability to produce force!

Image Courtesy of NSCA

Females may experience a multitude of benefits from resistance training, including:

• increased base metabolic rate (ability to eat more calories without gaining weight)
• decreased body fat %
• increased strength and athletic ability
• increased sex drive
• decreased chronic pain, stress, and anxiety / depression
• increased bone density / decreased risk of osteoporosis / osteopenia
• improved body image, self concept/self-esteem, and confidence
• and, yes, that “toned” look you want — but remember to stop using that word and just say it like it is — a leaner body with a lower body fat percentage and more lean muscle mass!

Image Courtesy of NSCA

“I don’t want to get bulky” and Hormones

Because of the hormonal differences in men and women, it would be very challenging for a female to bulk up as many fear — it’s just not as easy as females fear it is to add muscle, period; certainly not with their lower testosterone levels as compared with men.

If, however, females STILL worry you will get too bulky, they can absolutely modify their resistance training programs to avoid adding muscle size. Here are some strategies to try:

• stick to higher rep ranges / lower weights to build muscular endurance,
• try lower rep ranges & heavier weights to increase strength
• to some extent, veer clear of the moderate rep range / weight (8–12 reps, 30s rest) that is associated with hypertrophy (building larger muscles).
• If your lifting is consistent and incorporates progressive overload, any “bulk” you notice is unlikely to be due to lifting. Consider your nutrition and incorporate some gentle strategies to develop a more mindful approach to eating or explore the evidence-based approach to intuitive eating. Or, if you are someone who enjoys and is not triggered by tracking your food, feel free to track for a week or two (or longer) to re-calibrate and gain awareness surrounding your intake, portion size, hunger level, etc! An app like MyFitnessPal can be helpful for tracking your intake for a couple of weeks to months depending on your focus and goals.

Let’s put the fitness myth that lifting weights as a female will make you bulky to bed! You can and should lift weights as a female, if you want to age with less pain, more strength, and better overall health & longevity, not to mention a stronger body image/self concept. Let’s ditch the unhelpful female socialization and embrace strength!

Any questions, don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments! ❤