Does Weight Lifting Make Women Bulky?

What's up! Today our topic was created for you, ladies. A common question I get asked as a personal trainer by woman is "will lifting weights make me buff? I don't want to be really muscular." Or "let's not go heavier on the dumbbells, I don't want to get too big."

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that Resistance training be performed twice a week, yet Kruger, Carlson and Kohl report that only 20% of women were engaging in resistance training two or more times a week.

Is the part of the 80% of women that don't engage in resistance training due to the belief that they will become too muscular right?

Will weight lifting and increasing the size of the weights you look make you look like Ms. Olympia? Let's delve right in.

A major factor in building muscle is a hormone known as testosterone. Testosterone increases muscle mass by increasing protein synthesis.

Testosterone is a hormone that is found in both men and women.

Men have a higher level of testosterone than women do.

Putting genetic factors, aside, a woman who's lifting weights will not gain a huge amount of muscle mass (when compared to most men), but of course there can be exceptions!

Factors such as genetics, naturally high testosterone

levels and abuse of anabolic steroids can result in a woman being very muscular and having a body builder build.

With the rampant abuse of steroids on social image, it can create a false distortion of what a woman's natural figure will be if they engage in resistance training.

The reality is that weight lifting, will not only give woman a leaner (not bulky) look, but also has many numerous health benefits as well.

Resistance training can prevent osteopenia and osteoporosis (which women are susceptible to), by strengthening their bone density.

Weight lifting can also mitigate the risk of chronic diseases like high blood pressure, cholesterol, type 2 diabetes (insulin resistance).

The benefits transfer over to the mental realm as well. Resistance training can improve symptoms of depressions and anxiety.

Instead of asking yourself "will weight lifting make me too bulky?", ask yourself "where's my set of dumbbells?"!

Hurley KS, Flippin KJ, Blom LC, Bolin JE, Hoover DL, Judge LW. Practices, Perceived Benefits, and Barriers to Resistance Training Among Women Enrolled in College. Int J Exerc Sci. 2018 May 1;11(5):226-238. PMID: 29795737; PMCID: PMC5955292.

Kruger J, Carlson S, Kohl H. Trends in strength training - United States, 1998–2004. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Atlanta: 2006. 2006. [Accessed December 2016]. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5528a1.htm. [Google Scholar]

Burke, Rebecca, "The Benefits of Strength and Resistance Training" (2022). Integrated Studies. 459.

https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/bis437/459