5 Common Myths About Women and Weight Lifting That Are Totally False
No, you won’t look like a guy if you have muscles
I want to share some common misconceptions surrounding women and weight training. Sometimes I just have to eye roll and shake my head at the stuff still being distributed to the masses. And for some reason, even in today’s world, there’s still a stigma around women having muscles.
Why is this? What’s wrong with women having muscles? It’s not a bad thing.
I think I’m one of those non-conforming, rule-breaking women. I train for hypertrophy (building muscle). I train five to six days per week, utilizing progressive overload. Being strong makes me feel good.
Just because women want lean, healthy muscle doesn’t mean they can’t maintain a feminine figure. History tries to teach us that to be “feminine” means to be “dainty,” “frilly,” or “pristine.”
As a woman, I am far from those things.
I enjoy the challenge that comes with lifting heavy weights. I enjoy the process of building muscles and learning things about my body that I didn’t know before. I enjoy pushing myself to see how far I can go.
While every single human has their definition of “beauty,” muscle is a thing of beauty for me. In my eyes, being strong is beautiful.
This article will discuss the five common myths about women and weight training and why each myth is false.
Myth 1: Women who have lean, healthy muscle MUST be taking steroids
Fact: Women can and do naturally build muscle.
Will we look like Arnold? Probably not. I don’t take steroids and have absolutely no desire to do so. And here I am, building lean muscle, naturally. Do I look bulky? Nope. Do I want to look like Arnold? Not at all.
Steroids and stimulants do more harm than good for the body. Today, most fitness organizations and competitions disqualify individuals who use anabolic steroids/stimulants. They’re testing the participants to see if there’s anything in their system, and if they come up “hot”, they’re out of the competition.
For women, it’s not easy to naturally build muscle. It takes time, consistency, and dedication. But it’s entirely possible.
And no, you don’t have to take steroids.
Myth 2: Women can’t easily build muscle
Fact: Partially true and false. “Easily” is the keyword here, though.
Women can naturally build muscle. But it takes time, and it’s not easy. Other factors that play a key role include nutrition, the workouts themselves, proper recovery, and genetics.
Muscle type is an important element to also consider when women build muscle. There are two different skeletal muscle types: Type 1 and Type II.
Type I muscle fibers are slow-twitch and are geared toward endurance-type activities such as weight lifting or marathon running.
Type II muscle fibers are fast-twitch and geared toward short power burst activities such as sprinting or powerlifting.
According to the American Council on Exercise, “women tend to have about 27 to 35 percent more type I muscle fibers than men.” This resource explains why men can build muscle faster than women. Men tend to be more “explosive” in their workouts, while women tend to have more “endurance.”
And then there’s this 2019 study out of San Francisco State University, which debunked the strict type I vs. type II muscle fiber theory altogether. The study finds that fast-twitch muscle fibers were abundant in some female elite weightlifting champions.
Genetics and body type play a role in how much muscle a woman can build.
But the bottom line is that women can build muscle.
Myth 3: Women who build muscle WANT to look like a guy
Fact: Women want to be strong.
Just because women have lean, healthy muscle doesn’t mean we’re trying to look like a dude. Is it a bad thing if women want to have some muscle?
I came across this blog post and found it informative in how it explains that weight lifting will not make women masculine. And here’s a supportive post written by a female athlete who also discusses this very issue.
It seems as though it’s a continuing stigma in the fitness world, even today, that women who have muscles want to look masculine. This is nonsense.
I believe that muscles are a good thing. And for the women who do have them, it’s a sign of dedication and a commitment to a healthy lifestyle. And because it’s not easy for women to build muscle, it shows perseverence as well as discipline.
But just because a woman wants to have muscle definition doesn’t mean she wants to look masculine.
Myth 4: Women should ONLY lift lighter weights
Fact: Women need weight and strength training because they’re more prone to developing osteoporosis.
What is osteoporosis?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, osteoporosis is a common medical condition “that weakens bones, and if you have it, you are at a greater risk for sudden and unexpected bone fractures. Osteoporosis means that you have less bone mass and strength.”
Weight-bearing exercises help to prevent bone loss and strengthen already weak bones. By lifting weights, you strengthen both your muscles and your bones. Win-Win!
And this doesn’t mean you must keep weight-bearing activities in the two-pound range. It’s good to start light and then increase the weights progressively.
Good nutrition, an active lifestyle, and weight-bearing exercise can help women stay fit and healthy.
Myth 5: Women need to perform more cardio
Fact: Not all women need cardio.
It depends on the results you want and your body type. And by body type, are you an endomorph, ectomorph, or mesomorph? Check out my article here, where I discuss these three different body types in greater detail.
Cardio can be helpful, just in different ways. It can have many positive benefits to any workout regimen when properly utilized. Elevating the heart rate is one of the primary reasons for performing a cardiovascular workout.
Cardio is excellent in terms of aiding weight loss. It’s effective because the greater your heart rate for an extended period of time, the more fat you’ll burn, in theory. And because there are various types of cardio exercises, finding the particular activity that’s right for you is equally important.
Cardio is also beneficial for hypertrophy, developing endurance, and aiding in recovery efforts.
In terms of hypertrophy (building muscle), cardio doesn’t need to be performed with every session. Instead, it should be performed on the “active rest” days, which are those days where you’re not weight training, but doing some other form of exercise (walking, elliptical, yoga, pilates, swimming, etc.).
Cardio has many benefits in building stamina and endurance, including lowering your risk of common conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and high blood pressure. When you perform an aerobic exercise (i.e., cardio), your body becomes more adapted to that exercise. To achieve cardiovascular endurance, it’s recommended to exercise aerobically for a minimum of 30 minutes per day, 3 to 7 days per week.
In terms of recovery, an effective cardio workout can help boost your energy levels, which will help you sleep better and increase blood flow throughout your body. Proper recovery is an essential component of any fitness routine.
Key Takeaways
There is still a stigma around women having muscles, despite the growing girl power movement over the decades. And many common myths surrounding this topic still exist.
If you’re a woman and have muscles, you’re not a freak of nature. Embrace it!
This article briefly describes the five most common myths about women and weight lifting and why each myth is false.
Five common myths include:
- Women who have lean and healthy muscles must be taking steroids
- Women can’t easily build muscle
- Women who build muscle want to look like men
- Women should only lift lighter weights
- Women need to perform more cardio
Many other factors go into women having the ability to build muscle. These factors include nutrition, the workouts themselves, proper recovery, and genetics.
The facts remain that women don’t need to take steroids to build lean and healthy muscle, women can build muscle (although it’s not very easy and it takes time), women won’t look masculine if they have muscles, women should lift heavier weights to help prevent osteoporosis and reap other health benefits, and not all women need cardio.
Thank you, and I hope you enjoyed reading!
