Building Muscle Like a Woman

This article was originally written for Macon Magazine.

If you’re a man and you’re reading this, you can undoubtedly apply most of the principles I will outline in this article, but just so that it’s clear, ladies, this article is for you.

Yes, by engaging specifically in strength training – weightlifting, calisthenics, and other weight-bearing exercises – you can take your body and your overall health to the next level.  The unfortunate truth is that many women miss out on the unique benefits of strength training because of how it has been portrayed as more of a man’s type of exercise.  Let’s talk about that a bit.

Women have traditionally shied away from strength training for a couple of reasons:  One, the very act of pushing weight has been seen as a “masculine” thing.  It conjures up misleading mental images of grunting, grimacing, bellowing “bros” lifting gargantuan amounts of weight, which is not always the most appealing imagery.  Two, there is the longstanding myth that lifting weights automatically makes you bulky.  I have received heard many questions and concerns from women concerned that they’ll become the next Arnold Schwarzenegger if they begin lifting.

However, these could not be further from the truth.  While many guys thoroughly enjoy slinging around lots of weights as a hobby, such a view of strength training is myopic and hardly conveys the truth of the versatility and benefits of strength training.  You can lift big weights, small weights or even just your body weight, depending on your goals.  You can train for muscle strength, power, endurance or hypertrophy (growth).  In short, strength training is a form of exercise easily adaptable to your personal needs and preferences.

Also, you can quickly put any fears of Mr. Olympia-level muscle bulking to rest.  Due in part to important hormonal differences between men and women – namely testosterone levels – it is hard for women to gain muscle through strength training at the same rate as men.  In contrast, muscle building through strength training for women has a great sculpting effect, meaning that it helps you to shape your physique.  This leads to a much more well-rounded physique than if you were simply doing cardio for your workouts.

Strength training is very important for preserving muscle in women.  In other words, it helps you hold on to the precious, valuable muscle tissue that you already have.  This is very important because of age-related muscle loss that we all experience, better known as sarcopenia.  As the saying goes, “if you don’t use it, you lose it,” and this is definitely true when it comes to muscle.  However, strength training helps you to slow, halt or even reverse the effects of sarcopenia.  Also, muscle tissue is very important for a variety of health reasons which make it even more important to preserve it, including improved metabolism, an enhanced immune system, and improved insulin sensitivity, which means a lower risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.

Strength training for women is not just important for building and preserving muscle.  It is also important for preserving another important type of lean body mass:  Bone.

Women are at a higher risk for osteopenia, which is age-related bone loss, and osteoporosis, a condition that leads to an even faster rate of bone loss.  Both conditions can lead to bones that fracture much more easily, which can be lethal at older ages.  However, weight-bearing exercises are great for increasing bone density and preventing bone loss-related fractures.

If you haven’t done so already, do not be afraid to embrace strength training.  It keeps you strong, enhances your physique, and preserves valuable muscle and bone tissue.  And it’s not just for the guys.  If you are someone who happens to own a set of muscles, you should be engaging in strength training.

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