As a woman, Im afraid that lifting weights will make me “bulk up” and gain too much muscle so I look masculine. Should I still strength train as part of my exercise program?
YES! Strength training should definitely be part of your exercise program, and it will not bulk you up. Women often start a program then stop because they see they’re gaining muscle. But this is a normal scientific response by the body. In order to keep losing weight, you need to keep strength training AND doing cardiovascular exercise. Strength training raises your metabolism because the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn…it basically turns you into a lean, mean calorie-burning furnace! Each pound of muscle burns about 35 to 50 calories per day, compared with about two teeny calories burned by each pound of fat! Your muscles will get smaller and tighter, because as a woman you simply cannot bulk up since you just don’t have the biological makeup like men do to gain big muscles. So there is no need to worry! Generally, you’ll need to stick with a strength training program at least 6-8 weeks to see results.
