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.
