Strength Training For Women: Myths About Huge Muscles And The Truth About Health

Let's look at one of the most common myths about sports training for women today, namely huge muscles that supposedly appear almost the next day after lifting 5 kg dumbbells.

Speaking of muscle hypertrophy (this is the term that means an increase in muscle fibers in physiology), you need to understand that this increase is nothing more than a reaction to stress that occurs when exercising at a high level of intensity. The body reacts in a similar way to the load, extreme for itself and "insures" against subsequent similar influences. Therefore, bodybuilders constantly strive to increase weights, change exercises, the number of repetitions and approaches, and also use other techniques in order to "surprise" the muscles.

As numerous experiments show, the increase in muscle strength after performing the same exercises does not differ much between men and women. But in men, the increase in strength is often accompanied by the very same muscle hypertrophy, and in women, muscle volumes remain practically unchanged.

It is worth noting that hypertrophy can be rapid - immediately after training, and delayed - after a period of recovery. Rapid hypertrophy is associated with the influx of fluid (blood, water) into the trained muscles, and this effect disappears after rest and recovery. But, as practice shows, it is this effect that causes the greatest concern in women. You just think that this is your new, huge muscle that is not going anywhere now.

In fact, muscle growth is highly dependent on hormones, in particular testosterone. Testosterone is a male sex hormone that is responsible for many processes in a man's body (for example, for a "rough" voice), including muscle growth. There is very little testosterone in the female body, this is due to the presence of the female sex hormone estrogen. Estrogen, by the way, is the reason for the deposition of fat in the female body, especially in the buttocks and thighs.

It is also worth mentioning the necessary condition for muscle growth - the body's ability to absorb protein from food. After all, muscle structures that are prone to hypertrophy are composed primarily of protein. In men, this possibility is much higher due to the presence of testosterone. But bodybuilders, for example, take a lot of protein there from food and sports nutrition, which is absorbed only through the use of special pharmacology (artificial testosterone preparations).

So don't worry! As you can see, you have far more opportunities to NOT build muscle than to get a pumped body. But without neglecting strength training, you get solid benefits. First, the strengthening of the osteo-ligamentous apparatus, which is necessary for the prevention of osteoporosis, problems with the musculoskeletal system, including osteochondrosis. Secondly, the amount of unnecessary fat is reduced. The figure becomes more athletic and fit. By the way, very often many people mistake the muscles "appearing" after a decrease in the fat layer for hypertrophy. This is not true. We all have the same muscles, but many simply don't show up behind an excessive layer of subcutaneous fat.

By the way, in pursuit of an ideal body, I also suggest not to focus exclusively on simulators. Strength training in fitness clubs usually comes in two large formats. First, strength training in the gym, both independently and under the guidance of a personal trainer. Secondly, group training under the guidance of an instructor in the hall of group programs, for example: Body Fit, ABS, Pump, Leg Fit. The exercises performed in these workouts may be similar, varying in level of load and variation. The gym usually has more strength training equipment, including the machines themselves. In group lessons, exercises with low intensity are usually used, the instructor focuses on the weakest student. An important factor in such programs is the high emotionality and dynamism of classes. And also most often there is no such factor as a constant increase in loads, which is necessary for the growth of strength and muscle mass.