Myths Related to Strength training & Exercise for Women

Myth 1: You can focus on losing fat from certain body parts.

Spot-training is not a thing. "Fat cells are distributed across your entire body," says Rosante. "If you want to lose fat from a specific spot, you need to lose overall body fat." High-intensity interval training can work wonders—after an intense workout, your body needs to take in oxygen at a higher rate to help it return to its natural resting state. This process requires the body to work harder, burning more calories in the process. Incorporating strength training can help you hit your goals too, since having more lean muscle will help your body burn more calories at rest.

Myth 2: Strength training will make you bulk up.

It's pretty hard for women to bulk up from a normal strength-training routine because they don't have as much testosterone as men (the difference in this hormone level makes men more prone to bulking up). In fact, if weight loss is your goal, strength training can actually help you lean out, but you have to keep your nutrition in check, too. "Muscle is metabolically active," explains Adam Rosante, C.S.C.S., author of The 30-Second Body. Simply maintaining lean muscle mass requires higher energy, he explains."So, the more lean muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn at rest."

Myth 3: Women should not lift any weight heavier than 3 pounds. 

This myth has resulted in many women avoiding resistance training due to an irrational fear of becoming overly muscular. The reality is that women have the ability to lift a tremendous amount of weight, but do not increase lean muscle mass at the same rate as men. Due to the physiology of the female body, compared to men women produce much less testosterone. That means that adding two days of resistance training to a weekly exercise regimen can increase lean muscle mass, but it won’t add pounds of “bulky” muscle.

Myth 4: Women should avoid using weights because it will make them bulky. 

There are numerous media images of female bodybuilders or actresses with highly muscular physiques. It should be noted that it can take years of training, proper nutrition and "supplementation" to achieve the muscle-bound appearance of a Xena: Warrior Princess.

It can take lifting weights five or six days a week, plus a lot of eating, for women to increase their levels of lean muscle. Simply adding an extra day of strength training or grabbing the heavier dumbbells will not automatically cause a woman to become a muscle-bound she-hulk.

Myth 5: Aerobic exercise is the most effective way to burn fat. 

During low-intensity physical activity, fat is the primary macro-nutrient utilized to fuel muscle activity, so the idea of exercising in the fat burning Zone is based on science. But keep in mind that you're in the so-called fat-burning zone right now while you're reading this. Traditional aerobic exercise like running, cycling or using common health club machines can be effective for expending energy and the body will metabolize more fat for energy at lower intensities. However, exercising at a higher intensity or performing short, high-intensity work intervals can lead to a greater total amount of calories being expended during a workout.

Myth 6: A combination of light weights and high repetitions is the best way to Tone-up. 

There are different types of muscle fibers in the body: slow twitch and fast twitch. Slow-twitch fibers produce energy using oxygen and are used to sustain long periods of muscle work, such as maintaining good posture or performing endurance training. Fast-twitch fibers are capable of producing more force in a shorter period of time because they produce energy anaerobically. When it comes to muscle definition, a common goal for exercise, the fast-twitch fibers are responsible for that response.

Attention Ladies:

Lifting weights is a highly effective way to lose fat from your body. However, lifting every day is going to do you more harm than good. Weight lifting is extremely taxing on the body hence and adequate  rest between your sessions is vital.

Strategies that can be used to speed up recovery from weight training:

*Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night.

* Eat sufficient protein, carbohydrates and fat to allow your body to rebuild muscle fibers and      replenish energy stores. 

*Take regular time for leisure activities, such as relaxing walks in parks or long baths, to            reduce the levels of stress hormones circulating in your body. 

Assisting your body in its recovery will allow you to have more effective workouts, which in turn will help you achieve your fat-loss goal faster and with fewer problems.