It’s one of the most common questions that personal trainers receive from women again and again: will strength training build large muscles and make me look bulky?
To be honest, the answer to that question is that it depends on a lot of things. However, in almost all cases the answer is no, strength training does not build large, bulky muscles in women. That might be enough of an answer to satisfy some, but there’s more to the story, and we’re going to cover all of the main considerations in this article.
It’s ironic that the very thing women need most to help them achieve their goals is also what they tend to fear the most. We have this shame in our society that women who lift weights or do any form of strength training will transform into a big, bulky bodybuilder. As you now know, this is simply not true. Strength training is actually the exact activity that is most appropriate for women who have specific physique goals.
When asked what kind of physique they would like to achieve from a fitness program, most women describe a goal of building long, lean muscles. They would rather be toned, than bulky. The good news is that your genetics, body type, and hormonal profile are all designed to develop this lean, toned physique. It’s in your physiology.
Strength training is also one of the healthiest things anyone can do – especially women. Here is just a sampling of the benefits of strength training for women:
increases lean muscle tissue, which builds strength and endurance
improves your posture
strengthens your bones reducing your risk of developing osteoporosis
reduces your risk of many other conditions including diabetes and some forms of cancer
strengthens your metabolism, so you naturally burn more calories throughout the day
burns bodyfat – belly fat, cellulite, etc.
Health benefits aside, every woman with specific physique goals needs to start strength training. Now, almost any form of strength training is going to be productive towards this end, but I think there are a few methods that work exceptionally well.
Training styles that emphasize whole body training instead of body part split routines and compound exercises (multi-joint) instead of isolation exercises (single joint) will be the most beneficial. These types of methods work because they focus on the entire body at once, instead of trying to maximize the development of a particular body part. There are also program design considerations as well. For example, circuit training is generally more appropriate than doing straight sets.
That’s why I prefer training styles and tools that integrate and emphasize these qualities in their traditional application. Methods such as bodyweight exercise and kettlebell training (among many others) are traditionally used for whole body training, which is the best strategy for building that lean, toned physique. It’s true that a training tool is NOT the same as a training method. However, some tools are commonly used for certain methods of training.
There are a lot of options out there, but I think one of the best ones is any good bodyweight training program. This is the type of training that ties everything together, and 9 times out of 10 results in exactly what most women are looking for.
Ross Burns is a community fitness instructor and personal trainer based in Lincoln. He also regularly blogs on his website about common fitness queries and issues, and run his own gym.
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GPs across Lincolnshire and Yorkshire have signed an open letter to their patients calling for support at a time when the profession is in crisis.
With GP numbers dropping and patient numbers increasing, many people are not being able to get through on the phone and struggling to get an appointment.
The campaign group behind the letter – Rebuild General Practice, want the government to recruit and retain more GPs before the situation gets worse.
They acknowledge that “general practice is in crisis” and added that it is because of “decades of underfunding, neglect, broken government promises and political contempt for you – our patients – that this system is fractured.”
Dr Abdur-Rauff Mahroof, director at The Humberside Group of Local Medical Committees Ltd, told BBC Look North that staff have been suffering verbal abuse.
He said they are seeing a a mental health crisis among receptionists and doctors and “it’s got to a point where someone needs to have that conversation with patients”.
A 45-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods after 10 vehicles were taken from a premises north of Lincoln.
Staff at West View Farm in Ingham arrived at work on Wednesday, 29th June to find multiple units had been broken into and cars and vans stolen.
Suspects forced entry into the location and smashed open a key safe to obtain the keys for each vehicle, before making their escape with the vehicles.
Vehicles included an Audi car, and several Ford and Peugeot vans.
Investigating officers sprang into action and began searching for the vehicles, locating six of the 10 vehicles at a single location.
The final four were quickly located by police, meaning all the vehicles were found in a 24-hour period.
The success came off the back of a concerted effort from our local team who scoured the area to make sure the vehicles were found as quickly as possible.
The 45-year-old has been released under investigation as our enquiries continue.
If you know anything that you think might help us in our investigation, you contact us
By calling 101 quoting incident 52 of 29 June.
By emailing [email protected] quoting incident 52 of 29 June in the subject line.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can report via the independent charity CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.
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