You'll hear every now and again that silly statement, coming off the lips of otherwise sensible women - "I don't want to gain muscle...I just want to TONE."
Let me say this loud and clear, for the cheap seats in the back: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS "TONING" YOUR MUSCLES. That "tone" you're searching for - that's a combination of a loss of adipose tissue (i.e. fat) surrounding the muscle, and building up the muscle underneath. That's what we call hypertrophy, my friends, and you shouldn't fear it.
Hypertrophy results from the rebuilding of muscle - bigger, faster, stronger - after breaking it down via exercise. As muscle fibers are broken down, the body responds with inflammation and eventual repair in the area of damage. The building blocks of muscle fiber - actin and myosin filaments - are rebuilt and remodeled to be able to adapt to the repeated stress of exercise. In short, muscle is made bigger and tougher for the next go around. Awesome, right?
Now, my dainty flowers, I can almost hear the gasps of worry through the computer screen. "But Karen," you whimper, "I don't WANT to become beefy and huge!" Never fear, ladies. There are a few things you need to know about hypertrophy and weight training that will, hopefully, dispel your anxiety about become the next She-Hulk.
- Most women are not genetically capable of building huge muscles. It simply is not the way the majority of us women are designed. While men have much, much, much higher levels of the hormone testosterone raging through their muscle-bound bodies, we women have to rely mainly on human growth hormone for our muscle development. It doesn't hold a candle to testosterone in the giant muscle department.
- Not all weight training is made for hypertrophy. True, almost all resistance training will involve some level of hypertrophy, because almost all resistance training involves the breakdown of muscle fibers. Heck, even traditional cardio exercise builds muscle - seen a runner's calves, lately? Or a cyclist's thighs? That gorgeous washboard stomach a swimmer has? Hypertrophy. But to get a massive bodybuilder's build, there are more ideal set and rep ranges than others. Typically, between 6-12 repetitions of resistance exercises, done with enough weight to cause fatigue or near failure, will set you up for hypertrophy. Don't want to get huge? Avoid those repetitions. Aim for higher reps with a lighter weight to build muscular endurance, or lower reps (fewer than 6) with a higher weight for strength gains without the bulk.
- Muscle burns calories. Word. It takes energy for your body to maintain its musculature. MUCH more energy than it takes for your body to maintain its fat stores. The more lean body mass you have (read: muscles), the more calories you will burn in the long run. Thus, the fewer calories your body will store as fat. And because muscle is more dense than fat, it LOOKS smaller on you than the same weight in fat tissue. Ya get me? Good.
The benefits of resistance training for women are HUGE, no pun intended. Aside from building self-confidence, strength, and power, weight training has also been shown to build bone density. For us ladies at risk of osteoporosis, this is an important benefit, one that should not be overlooked. Weight training has also been suggested to help alleviate depressive symptoms, improve balance and coordination, and reduce symptoms in chronic illnesses such as arthritis and fibromyalgia.
My final comment on this subject - hypertrophy is nothing to fear. For one thing, women's fears of "looking big" are deeply misogynistic, self-defeating, superficial constructs. There is no one way a woman should be pressured to look like, no one body type that is morally or objectively "better" than another. Our self-esteem needs to be divorced from the mirror. Second, even if we wanted to, most of us women are incapable of growing to massive proportions. The unfounded fear of hypertrophy shouldn't prevent us from getting all of the benefits that weight training can afford.
So buck up, ladies. Pick up something heavy, lift, and repeat. Your body will thank you.
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