But I don’t want BIG muscles!

Lauren Shiers
Lab Coach – Mill Hill

WOMEN'S MISCONCEPTIONS OF STRENGTH TRAINING

A phenomenon that has plagued our industry is the commonly held belief that if a woman strength trains, she will overnight morph into something resembling the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger – unwanted girth, pulsating veins and a voice that will plummet three octaves.

This deterrent, which is unquestionably false, prevents so many women from fully accomplishing the "toned" and their ultimately desirable female physique. And given that women have 10–30 times less testosterone than their male counterparts, they simply will not get overly bulky without the use of performance enhancing substances.

While this misconception may have improved somewhat over the last few years, we would like to remind you of the benefits and (once you’ve been appropriately screened) why you should be performing strength training on a regular basis.

Firstly, what is strength training?

Strength training is increasing muscular strength by lifting a load that is only achievable for a maximum of one or two reps. What this means in the long term is increased efficiency of your nervous system to contract more muscles that you already have (Increased Motor Unit Recruitment) as opposed to getting bigger muscles which is where the stigma comes from!

Strength training provides the human body with a number of beneficial alterations.

A few of which include:
- the loss of body fat
- the gaining of muscle density (toning) an increase in bone density
- helping in the prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease
- improved cognition
- the reduced risk of injury
- increased metabolism
- improvements in posture
- enhanced mood
- increased self-confidence

Also don’t forget the overall factor of just burning more calories on a daily basis if that’s your focus!

Strength training through lifting weights can also be a functional form of fitness that can apply to every aspect of one’s life. Every time you pick up a heavy bag or pick up your kids, you are using your muscular strength.

If you lift weights and build up your strength, you will massively alleviate the difficulty of many daily tasks as well as reap the numerous benefits that it has to offer.

If you are interested in getting leaner and firmer you need to add strength training to your workouts. Ensure you book in a Test Drive with a Lab Pro or a Refocus appointment with a Lab Coach to find out more.

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