Don’t Be Afraid to Lift Heavy!
Alright ladies…it’s really time to quit being afraid of lifting heavy. Just today alone, I have read so many blog posts and entries online about women not wanting to lift heavy because they’re afraid of bulking up. In order to seriously gain weight and get bulky muscles like the professional bodybuilders, you’d have to do a lot of strength training and a whole lot of eating. You DON’T have to stick to 3 and 5 pound dumbbells for your workouts.
Think of it like this…bodybuilders who have tons of muscle mass also have crazy high metabolism levels and are constantly eating. Even those who are professional athletes have to eat a ton of food to just maintain what they have, not to mention if they actually try to put on more muscle.
I’m very open with my fitness – I include all of my daily workouts right here and I post pictures too. I have done overhead shoulder presses with 15 pound dumbbells, I’ve bench pressed 100 pounds and I’ve done squats with 75 pounds. You’ve seen the pictures here…I am not “bulky” at all.
You can’t be afraid to challenge your body, that’s the only way you’re going to see the results you want. A 3 or 5 pound dumbbell (or no dumbbell use at all) is perfect for beginners, but eventually your body will get used to it and stop responding as well as it did before.
It makes me angry when women think they’re going to get huge if they lift heavy. It takes a lot more than lifting heavy to get bulky. My husband is right around 200 pounds and he struggles to put on muscle. It’s NOT easy. If a person is after a toned, muscular body, lifting heavy can get you there. I’m not saying a person needs to lift heavy all the time, but people shouldn’t be afraid to in fear of getting bulky.
Sometimes it’s fun to really push yourself and see how much you can really lift. You’ll probably surprise yourself! I did!
Thank you for this! When I started lifting heavy, I got lots of comments about how I should put down the 45 lb. barbell for bicep curls. Really? Because mine looked better than theirs.
Exactly! I always prefer a barbell over dumbbells because I really enjoy lifting heavy and seeing how much I can do. Though it’s great to mix it up and use dumbbells also, women shouldn’t be afraid of the barbells and plates!
I agree… this is the hardest thing to explain to women because they have so many reservations. I love lifting heavy and seeing how powerful my body is. It’s a great feeling to progress! I have kept a workout journal for 3 years and it’s so cool to look back and see how far i have come.
is it true that if a woman with a big practice will have a thick muscle like a muscle man? because many say she will bring heavy exercise his muscles and suggested light exercise but with high reps is correct with that statement? thanks for the info you wrote in this article.