You’d think I’d be used to it by now but nothing irks me more than when good people are misled by fitness myths.
Things like:
-Eating 1200 calories or less per day is the sweet spot
-Lift light weights for more reps to tone
-Doing an hour or more a day of cardio will help you lose fat fast
-Crunches are great for the abs
These myths sabotage results and keep people miles from their fitness goal.
So as the new year approaches and people are starting think about a get-fit plan for the 2014, I feel it’s my responsibility to warn you about the bogus rumors going around about strength training.
Strength training for women is my absolute first workout love. It’s what got me into the fitness industry in the first place.
I started lifting weights at 15 and even still, over the years I’ve fallen victim to the myths I’m about to dispel.
Each time I was disappointed and found out the truth the hard way.
I now know with 100% certainty that strength training is THEE number one thing you can do for your health, fitness and appearance and I’m never turning back.
So let me expose these top 3 myths for what they are….
Strength Training Myth #1: Strength Training Makes Women Bulk Up
Sure, strength training increases the amount of muscle on your body, so many women take this to mean that their body will become body-builder-esque. Not quite the look you’re going for…
I know you’ve heard before that women just don’t contain large enough levels of testosterone to put on bulk muscle without a very focused and dedicated effort. And this is 100% true.
But still you can lift and get bulky…but it’s not the weights. It’s your diet. Weights don’t make you bulky, excess calories do.
In almost all cases I’ve seen of women bulking up with weights it’s due to their nutrition not being in check so they are adding muscle underneath all their excess body fat.
However if you work consistently on improving your diet while you focus on getting stronger you will get faster results than just dieting and cardio alone (see #2).
Strength Training Myth #2: Strength Training Does Not Burn Fat
This one couldn’t be more false. Muscle is actually your number one ally against fat gains.
One pound of muscle burns 10-20 calories each day, just living and breathing. Regular strength training for women helps you increase your muscle mass as well as preserve existing muscle mass, turning you into a fat burning machine.
People always think for fat loss cardio is the main training tool, and while even one of my favorite forms of cardio, HIT Cardio, has some great benefits STRENGTH TRAINING should always be the focus and the cornerstone of your fat loss, get lean program.
Strength Training Myth #3: High Reps And Light Weights For Toning
(Ah man, buying into this myth led me down the path to nearly 30 lb weight gain!)
The whole notion of training light weights for high reps to burn fat is not a good option.
This myth, made popular in the 90’s, says that very high repetitions of very light weights would result in a toned physique. Sorry, not true.
These high repetitions will increase your muscular endurance but will not add strength or tone.
In order to truly challenge your muscles, heavier weights with lower repetitions are a must. Start with an 8-10 repetition range and push your muscles with each set.
And you want to focus on the BIG exercises:
Squats
Dead lifts
Pull Ups
Olympic Lifts
Farmers Carry
These BIG moves are FAR more beneficial for fat loss than light weights going for a “pump”.
In fact, these are the exercise that the Beast Mode squad program held at our Sacramento studio is structured around.
We focus solely on getting stronger and a leaner body is the natural happy side effect!