Does Weight Training Give Women Bulky Muscles?
Many health-conscious women have a phobia about weight training in the false belief that lifting a dumbbell any heavier than a glass of Shiraz will make them develop large and unfeminine muscles. The association between lifting weights and building muscle is a misconception that never seems to die. Throughout my career, it has been an uphill struggle to dispel this myth, so here is the reason why women are unlikely to develop bulky muscles by weight training. First, muscle is difficult to build. Even the most dedicated, steroid-free and genetically gifted male bodybuilders, who spend their lives weight training struggle to grow more than 6kg (14lb) of muscle a year. Second, the hormone testosterone, which plays a major role in the formation of masculine features and synthesis of muscle, is one hormone that women distinctly lack. So before a dumbbell has even been lifted, the odds are heavily stacked against women building bulky biceps. Over the years a number of studies have been carri
