The simple answer is Nope… Many out there think that if you lift weights you will get “man muscles”. This is simply not true. Weight training simply makes you STRONGER!
When beginning a strength program, you will not see growth in the first few weeks since your nervous system is adapting to the training. It’s pretty complex but in layman’s terms, the more “muscle” you try to recruit, the more the brain works in finding that muscle to help with the strength. This is why you must give a strength program longer than a week or two 😉 The best plans take time!
Nutrition plays a big part in this as well because when you lift, in order to gain muscle, you need to “feed” that muscle the proper nutrients. Too many calories without burning it off results in the “bulkiness” or body fat gain. So eat to train, don’t train to eat!
Many people come in thinking they can just “tone up” or target a specific muscle area. The bottom line is to stick with an appropriate strength program (hire a coach 😉 ), use proper form and eat a well-balanced diet.
Hormones are the underlying factor when speaking about bulking up when lifting weights. Women will not bulk up like men, because they have a different hormone profile. Men have more testosterone, which promotes muscle growth. For women, both fortunately and unfortunately, their hormone profile allows them to tone without getting bulky, but also deters them from losing all the fat they may desire as easily as men. A clean diet will promote this wanted fat loss for them.
You need to be strong to be lean, and to do this, the recipe is simple: weight training, clean diet with everything in moderation and cardio. If you have other questions about exercise, fat loss, weight training or nutrition, go ahead and book a No Sweat Intro with one of our trainers and we can get you started to a strong and lean future!
Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!
