Debunking the Myth
A lady who frequents Ironcult since a long time participated in a fitness/bodybuilding competition. The competitors had to exhibit their bodies to show that they carried very less body fat and also well-developed muscles. She won the competition, as she was muscular than all.
On a similar note, daily wage laborers (women) at construction sites lift and carry construction material. These women possess gargantuan muscles as they lift this material from morning till evening. I met such a construction worker and asked her to compete. She agreed, as there was some monetary benefit involved in the competition. Fortunately, she too won the competition in her sub-class.
Do you think I am lying? Yes, I am. Sorry for lying, horribly.
The myth—you (women) will get bulky from picking up heavy things.
The notion is, if women lift weights they will possess humongous muscles like men. Nothing can be farther from the truth. However, I will brief and debunk the myth. You have probably witnessed some women bodybuilders who look bulky. They eat, train, take supplements, and several of them take steroids so they can look heavily muscled. Moreover, women have little amount of testosterone when compared to men. On average, men produce approximately 16 times more testosterone than women. Even women who lift heavy weights for several years don’t get large and bulky because their bodies don’t naturally produce enough testosterone. End of story.
Nonetheless, on the flip-side, men search for that secret training method or supplement that provide them with an edge in developing muscle, for muscle gains are minimal and extremely difficult to attain for the average man. In other words, a genetically gifted man can acquire more muscles provided he consumes good amount of protein and weight lifts adequately. Also, if gaining muscle is so easy, why does a multi-billion US dollar market exist for muscle-building products and information?
Lifting heavier weights for women doesn’t create a bulky and unfeminine body. In fact, it creates a leaner and elegant-looking body. Muscle is far more compact than fat; so the more muscle you build, and the fat you lose, the smaller you’ll actually become. And the more lean muscle tissue you acquire, the more calories you’ll burn 24/7.
Most important—curves.
As you (women) build muscle, your body begins to take a beautiful curvy shape. Though endurance exercise can help you lose weight, that weight comes in the form of both fat and muscle tissue. If you’re losing both fat and muscle, you can lose those lovely curves as well. Strength training can help create and sustain them.
I have come across women who have continued to lift weights since a long time, and I have not seen them getting bulkier. Similarly, do women laborers at construction sites look thickly muscled? Nonsense! On the other hand, they look emaciated not “gargantuan,” for they don’t replenish their bodies with sufficient calories.
Part 11 continued
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