Hello again.  Today I wanted to take a bit of time to talk about a subject that many women who hire a personal trainer or bootcamp instructor bring up.  I’m talking about muscle weight gain.  We trainers always get a private chuckle out of the following statement…”I don’t want to get too big”, or this fun one…”I don’t want to be too bulky”.  We chuckle because we know the truth, that even though there are some genetic anomalies out there, most ladies could train with heavy weights until they are blue in the face, and they would still not get too bulky.

I thought this was common knowledge, but apparently it is not.  I still see this fear all over the place, and frankly, it’s part of the reason why many ladies fear starting a program that can actually truly transform their bodies once and for all.

Here’s the deal…you gals just don’t possess the amount of testosterone necessary to look like you are too bulky.   Sure, a few ladies produce a bit more than others, and those are the ones who might have to watch things a bit more.  On the whole, most ladies would have to eat a ton of food, or use a little chemical enhancement to gain the amount of lean muscle it would take to make you look like you spent all day every day lifting.  In fact, I would present that even if you do produce more testosterone than the average gal, I would bet that a good bit of the “bulk” that you think comes from muscle actually comes from fat stores.  Perhaps more than you think.  This is why it’s crucial to measure body fat on a regular basis.   Not to mention the frequent pinching of all your “fat” spots tends to keep you on your toes a bit more.

Some points I would like you to consider in regards to muscle weight gain, body fat measurements, and general girth measurements as you are going through your exercise program…

1)      If you have never done any resistance training in your life, you might gain more muscle weight in the beginning of your program than someone who has worked out for a considerable period of time – Translation: You have to start somewhere if you want to transform your body.  What happens with a person in this situation is they are fulfilling their potential from a muscle weight gain perspective.  Here’s the beauty of it though…females would be hard pressed to even gain 5 lbs of lean muscle throughout their entire body, much less an amount that would make one look like they had too much.

2)      Measurements don’t always go down in the beginning of a program – Translation: In order to become a fat burning machine, you must first build some lean muscle.  This lean muscle may push the fat outward which is why you might not see an immediate circumference drop with whatever it is you are measuring.  Sounds scary, right?  Only if your patience is lacking.  With time, circumferences typically decrease in the limbs IF you have enough fat to lose, regardless of how much muscle weight you gain.  So don’t panic, take your body fat and truly see where the truth lies.

3)      Gains in muscle weight typically occur throughout the body – Sure, if you are always doing lunges, your booty might be a bit more, how do I say it?…bubbly.  A good thing from a male perspective (not that you care).  The point is that I see many shying away from certain body parts for whatever reason and gravitating toward others.  Typically it’s something like not wanting to do biceps because you think your arms will get too big, or maybe you think doing legs is just too hard because your knees are a little less than stable (not condoning being unsafe if you have knee issues btw).  The best one of all, though, is that inner/outer thigh machine in the gym.  Guess what happens if you live on that machine?  Yep, your thighs can get bigger, in exactly the way you don’t want them to.

4)      Gains in muscle weight, and body shape in general, for that matter has a ton to do with genetics – Guess what?  You are what you are.  Translation: You can fight it…deny it all day long that you have not, or will never turn out like your parents, but guess what?…They are the ones that cursed you with string bean calves.  Embrace it!

5)      Choices, choices, choices – You have two options if you are in the boat of being that person that was lean and mean in your youth, up until, say 40, having never lifted a single weight.  Perhaps you were the gal who ran 3-4 times a week and stayed thin doing it.  Option 1 – continue to do what you’ve always done, and continue to gain fat in all the wrong places (yes, even with all the running), or Option 2 –  accept the fact that you might gain a few muscle lines (definition), and reduce the fat hanging from your triceps.  Your choice.  Some of you might have a desire to have no muscle in your arm like some starlet, but keep in mind that it WILL catch up with you at some point.

6)      Do some reading up on airbrushing – I get it.  You’re an independent gal, but here’s a news flash for ya…you’ve been programmed (robot voice).  Here are a couple of links that will help you gain some perspective on some of the things that program you….

http://www.hilary.com/fashion/bikini.html

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2008/12/09/the-art-of-airbrushing/

Of course you have a right to strive for the body you want, but keep in mind that some goals might be a tad unrealistic depending on what you are looking for.  You might be thinking to yourself…”Gee, that sounds discouraging…you mean I can train like a mad woman and I still might have wide hips like my mom?”  Yeah, maybe, but keep in mind training is more than just transforming your body.  You’ll feel better, and at the end of the day isn’t that what it’s all about?

Until next time, keep it real

Chris

Chris Buckley, B.S. Exercise Science, is a certified Fitness Trainer and exercise physiologist, graduate of the University of Florida and fitness professional located in Roswell, GA. Buckley is the owner of BodyBack! Women’s Fitness Boot Camps…serving Roswell, Woodstock, Milton, and NE Marietta, and has posted more information on his website, www.RoswellBootCamps.com.  To try a trial week of his fat churning, calorie burning boot camp…click on the registration link at http://www.roswellbootcampsforwomen.com/roswell-boot-camp-registration.html

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