There is a great social expectation that women be physically small. A lot of women are wary of strength training because they fear that it will make them big and bulky which translates into unfeminine. But really, should women be afraid to pack on some muscle? The answer to this is No. A recent study shows that when women gained some muscle and lost body fat over a 12-week exercise programme they improved estrogen metabolism, lowering their cancer risk. The researchers were surprised to see the association between muscle mass and a shift to better estrogen metabolism because they expected that simply losing body fat would improve it.
Experts say, when you gain muscle, you almost always lose fat because you raise your metabolic rate. Not only will you be leaner, you will also look leaner, because muscle retains its shape, whereas fat is flabby. Plus, by gaining muscle, you’ll be much healthier because your body will metabolise estrogen better. This lowers your breast cancer risk and improves your overall health. There are other benefits as well:
- The more muscle you have, the more insulin receptor sites you have, and the more sensitive they will be. Increased muscle prevents diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
- Muscle builds stronger bones, reducing your risk of accidents or falls and also preventing osteoporosis.
- The more muscle you have the more calories you burn at rest. It is estimated that for every pound of muscle you gain you burn an extra 50 calories a day.
- Muscle helps you live longer. According to Tufts University, the more muscle mass you have, the greater your longevity potential. Muscle is the number one biomarker for longevity. It is a better predictor than total cholesterol or blood pressure.
Finally, even the best weight training will not turn a woman into a female Schwarzenegger. Muscle bulk is dependent largely upon testosterone production. No woman makes as much testosterone as a man. It is a hormonal issue. Men have an average of 15-20 times more testosterone than women. As a general rule, men who lift weights are going to push harder than women and intense lifting, with heavier weights, is what makes muscles grow. Even with a hardcore regimen women gain muscle much more slowly. When it comes to post-menopausal women, whose testosterone levels are even lower, it’s further difficult to develop a muscular size like that of a bodybuilder. Women need not worry about looking big. It is possible to be lean, sexy – and hard!
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