Ladies lets end this debate - Does lifting weights make you bulky?

"I don't want to get big and bulky, I just want to tone up the muscle that I already have"

Yes.. that was my response many many years ago in my first gym induction when my trainer asked what my fitness goals were and to this day I guarantee that the majority of females will have the exact same answer. To be fair this was a good few years before I had a real interest in fitness and weight training, I genuinely believed that lifting heavy weights would make me put on bulk. Now I am roughly 4 years into my fitness journey and I am still not 'bulky'. I think this so called myth needs to be put to rest once and for all. 

But what does bulky even mean?  The word ‘Bulky’ is subjective everyone has different opinions of what it means, personally id imagine it as ‘large and muscular’ however another individual may see it as having lots of excess body fat. Unfortunately, there is little scientific research defining the word bulky , but im going to discuss some reasons why weight lifting won’t make you ‘bulky’.

Now for the science.. Strength training is proven to have vast health benefits such as a positive effect on cardiovascular function , body composition, decreased risk of disease, and even preventing sarcopenia (muscle wastage) and osteoporosis (brittle bones) (Fleck, Kraemer, 2014). Despite these benefits resistance training presents it sometimes gets a negative outlook from females as they see it as masculine relating it to the stereotypical body builder image. Here are some reasons against the common misconception that weight training makes you bulky. ​ 1. Genetics and body type  People commonly say ‘Women can't build muscle because their bodies don't produce enough testosterone compared to males’ well this is only partly the explanation. It’s down to two things genetics and body type. Not all males can gain muscle easily, its dependent on what lies within our DNA, and the ratio of testosterone to oestrogen, genetics also determine our body type. There are three classifications of body type (American Council on Exercise, 2009). Mesomorph – Muscular and responds well to strength training  Endomorph – Excess body fat  Ectomorph – slim and linear shape  Women simply don’t have the hormone balance; their bodies don’t contain the androgen receptors which are needed to bind to the testosterone in order for muscle growth. Without these androgen receptors your screwed. This is why body builders commonly take supplements such as BCAAs, Creatine and sometimes steroids etc. to improve the function of these receptors and promote more muscle hypertrophy.

2. Don’t over do it!  For the healthy adult The American College of Sports medicine (ACSM) recommends strength training on 2/3 days per week for maximal health benefits with the addition of cardiovascular exercise. Those shredded individuals you see in the gym in their string vests showing off muscles that you didn’t even know existed typically treat weight lifting as their part time job, training usually 5+ times per week, taking supplements, eating 5+ meals a day. It takes a lot of dedication and time to become that size it won’t just happen overnight or however These very muscular individuals are usually genetically gifted or more likely taking steroids.  ​ 3. Muscle vs Fat? Did you know muscle burns more calories than fat, a pound of muscle burns an additional 4-6 calories per day compared to a pound of fat (American Council on Exercise, 2009). So basically the more lean-muscle you have in your body the more calories your body will burn. However, the common phrase you hear is ‘Muscle weights more than fat’ well if you look at a pound of muscle and a pound of fat the fat is a lot bigger, but a pounds a pound, they can’t weigh different the muscle is just denser than fat (takes up more space). Research suggests a combination of strength training and to be in a calorie deficit. Whilst body fat is lost muscle mass will be maintained or increased rising your resting metabolic rate (the amount of calories your body burns whilst at rest) technically allowing you to eat more whilst still losing body fat. As your muscle is burning more calories than the fat (Geliebter, Maher, Gerace, 1997). So there’s endless research on the benefits of resistance training. Even though it is the method for increasing muscle mass don’t forget that getting ‘bulky’ is a combination of many factors not just lifting weights. So don’t be afraid to pick up some dumbbells when you next enter the gym concentrate on your technique and lifting safely. 

References         Fleck, Kraemer, 2014, Designing resistance training programmes, Human kinetics, 4thedition  Stiegler, Cunliffe, 2012, The Role of Diet and Exercise for the Maintenance of Fat-Free Mass and Resting Metabolic Rate During Weight Loss, Journal of Sports Medicine, Volume 33, issue 3, pp 239-262 

Trimming off the fat , American Council on Exercise, 2009, [Viewed on 1/10/18], available from https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/blog/6706/trimming-off-the-fat

Geliebter, Maher, Gerace, 1997 , Effects of strength or aerobic training pn body composition, resting metabolic rate, and peak oxygen consumption in obese dieting subjects , Americal Journal of Clinical Nutrition , PP.557-63 

Building Muscle for Women, American Council on Exercise, 2009,[Viewed on 2/11/18], available from  ​https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/blog/6690/building-muscle-for-women