Lifting weights does not make you manly! And it won't give you massive muscles.
Just because you lift weights doesn't mean you'll become manly and grow massive muscles. With the right amount of effort, time and strict dieting, that could be something you can achieve, but this will take dedication and a lot of gym time.
Aussie fitness mum, Chyanne says she's tired of people commenting on her body as manly, "lifting weights will not make you manly. It will make you shapely! What people don’t understand is the amount of effort it takes to look how I do! I flex in my photos because it shows off my muscles, it doesn’t mean I walk around looking like that all day long.”
Building muscle...not TOO much muscle!
Trainers hear that all of the time, it seems to be a common fear of getting too big and looking manly and there isn't anything wrong with that. We all have specific goals in mind and there are plenty of ways to lift weights without getting 'too big'.
All muscle is the same, there's no such thing as lean, toned or bulky muscles it's just muscle and it's a slow process to grow it. The average man past the beginner stage doing everything right might gain about 0.25lb of muscle per week (if they’re lucky). The average woman might gain half that. So you won't accidentally get too big, and you'll have plenty of time to stop it from happening.
How do you get the perfect amount of muscle?
According to Jay, the guy behind aworkoutroutine.com, the key is to approach working out like you want to build tons of muscle and his reason for this is because you have to approach your workout with 100% effort. Otherwise you'll always be holding yourself back and won't achieve any of your goals. This doesn't mean you'll get too big, so don't worry! The only difference is that you'll stop once you reach your goal and work towards maintaining it. Those who want to get bigger will just continue to push themselves.
Get yourself a personalised routine and make sure you're eating the right things. You won't see results without a healthy diet to compliment your exercise and make sure you're pushing yourself! You will not get too big accidentally, trust us.
Why you SHOULD lift weights
Muscle Fights Fat
In a study published in the February 2008 issue of Cell Metabolism, Boston University researchers demonstrated that type II muscle fibers, the kind you build when you lift weights, improves whole-body metabolism. A higher metabolism will give you more energy and make you feel better. So you'll be able to reach your goals a lot quicker!
Reduce Depression Symptoms
A study published in The Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry in 2004, followed 40 women and found similar results in those who ran and those who lifted weights for eight weeks. Both groups saw improvements and had reduced symptoms.
Better at Sports
Weightlifting improves dexterity, endurance and hand-eye coordination, all of which will help you be at the top of your game.
Lowers Diabetes Risk
A study funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in The Archives of Internal Medicine found that men who lifted weights for 150 minutes each week (about five 30-minute sessions) had a 34-percent lower risk of diabetes.Even better, adding regular cardiovascular exercise slashed the risk by 59 percent, so don't forget to include a bit of running.
Need more reasons? Read them here.
Remember to warm up properly!
Warming up should always be the first part of your workout and Barbend have a really helpful guide on How To Properly Warm Up For Weightlifting Workouts.
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