It never fails to surprise me how often the ‘professionals’ get this wrong. This weeks post is specifically for the girls – does lifting weights make you bulky?

Have you heard this one? Maybe you’ve V-lined for the set of pink dumbbells at the gym for this very reason. Or maybe your personal trainer has got you doing high reps to get toned without bulking up? If so, I’m sorry but you’ve been fooled… Lifting heavy weights does NOT make females bulky! It’s time to set the record straight.

When examining questions like this I always like to go back to the basic science (unfortunately many fitness professionals don’t think the same way). The basic science tells us that from an evolutionary perspective females aren’t designed to be muscle machines. And why is that? Basic chemistry; females have lower testosterone than males along with lower growth hormone production. Simply put, they don’t have the makeup required to grow large amounts of muscle.

So why does this rumour continue to spread? The ‘one in a thousand’ principle. The ‘one in a thousand’ girl that you see at the gym so muscly you check twice to see if it was actually a guy. The ‘one in a thousand’ female swimmer who stands atop the podium at the Olympics, her shoulder muscles bulging. And lastly the ‘one in a thousand’ bodybuilder you see in the fitness mag showcasing her stunning six-pack.

These ‘one in a thousands’ are just that. The exception to the norm. However between uneducated fitness professionals and misinformation on the internet the rumour continues to spread: “If I lift weights I’ll get muscly like her”. For the other 999 females who aren’t the ‘one in a thousand’ they can do weights day and night without ever bulking up. It’s as simple as that.

Not only does lifting weights not make females bulky, it actually helps performance and reduces the risk of injury. So if you play a sport or just want to be healthy, I’d advise you to swap the pink dumbbells for a pair that actually makes you sweat! Combine big weights with big movements like squats and deadlifts and you’ll quickly find yourself stronger, fitter and faster (not bulkier!).

Help spread the word and share this post with your friends. Here at Better Exercise Physiology we are determined to educate the masses with scientific, evidence based information. This is just one of the ways that we continually strive to be Better than the rest.

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Yours in fitness.

Chris – Exercise Physiologist