|
There are more myths and
misconceptions about strength training than any
other area of fitness. While research continues
to uncover more and more reasons why working out
with weights is good for you, many women
continue to avoid resistance training for fear
of developing muscles of herculean proportions.
Other women have tried it
and been less than thrilled with the results.
Don't worry, people say. Women can't build
muscle like men. They don't have enough
testosterone. This is, in fact, only partly
true.
Many women, believing they
wouldn't build muscle, hit the gym with a
vengeance and then wondered why, after several
weeks of resistance training, their clothes
didn't fit and they had gained muscle weight.
The truth is, not everyone
responds to training in quite the same way.
While testosterone plays a role in muscle
development, the answer to why some men and
women increase in muscle size and others don't,
lies within our DNA.
We are predisposed to
respond to exercise in a particular way, in
large part, because of our genetics. Our genetic
makeup determines what types of muscle fibers we
have and where they are distributed. It
determines our ratio of testosterone to estrogen
and where we store body fat. And it also
determines our body type.
A question of body type
All women fall under one
of three body classifications, or are a
combination of types. Mesomorphs tend to be
muscular, endomorphs are more rounded and
voluptuous and ectomorphs are slim or linear in
shape. Mesomorphs respond to strength training
by building muscle mass much faster than their
ectomorphic counterparts, even though they may
be following identical training regimens.
Endomorphs generally need
to lose body fat in order to see a change in
size or shape as a result of strength training.
Ectomorphs are less likely to build muscle mass
but will become stronger as a result of
resistance training.
Building just your
heart muscle
One of the fundamental
principles of strength training is that if you
overload the muscle, you will increase its size.
With aerobic training, the overload is typically
your body weight. Activities such as step/bench
training or stair-stepping result in changes in
the size and shape of the muscles of the lower
body. Increasing the height of the step or
adding power movements increases the overload.
For those concerned about
building muscle, it would be better to reduce
the step height or lower the impact of the
movements. While this may reduce the aerobic
value of the workout, it also will decrease the
amount of overload on the muscles, making it
less likely that you will build more muscle.
Training by the rules
When it comes to strength
training, the old rule still applies: to get
stronger, work with heavier weights and perform
fewer repetitions. To promote endurance, use
lighter weights and complete more repetitions.
It's encouraging to note
that just like men, most women will experience a
20 percent to 40 percent increase in muscular
strength after several months of resistance
training.
Understanding your body
type and how you might respond to exercise can
help you set realistic goals and expectations.
Avoid comparisons to others you see, at the gym
or elsewhere, and remember that no two people
are alike.
Focus on how good exercise
makes you feel rather than how you would like to
look. Accepting our bodies for what they are is
a great way to get rid of the guilt or pressure
we often feel to look a certain way. |
