Do you see the weights area in your gym as a men-only haven? Does the mere thought of doing a bicep curl make you feel bulkier? You’ve believed the weight training myths for too long. RESCU’s Fitness Expert, Kris Abbey, sets us straight on pumping iron. Fitness Expert, Kris Abbey breaks the top 3 weight training myths.
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Myth #1:
I’ll add bulk There is a common belief that weight training makes women bulk up on muscle and look masculine. This would be true if you were lifting heavy weights, eating a high protein diet, using growth hormones, plus training several hours a day! It actually takes a lot of effort (not to mention time and money) for women to put on bulk. Adding bulk is much more likely to happen for a woman who is into bodybuilding as a sport, where muscle mass is their goal.
Take-home facts:
The average female is more likely to tone and define her muscles when using weights. The muscles will increase in mass slightly, but since females have one tenth the testosterone males have, they’ll never achieve a bulky look unless they work really hard at getting it.
Myth #2:
Muscle weighs more Another myth regarding muscle mass is that muscle weighs more than fat. Each time I hear this, I cringe. Not only is it a negative comparison to fat, it’s simply not true. How can one kilogram of fat weigh less than one kilogram of muscle? Muscle is more dense than fat, therefore one gram of muscle will take up less space than one gram of fat. This is a bit like comparing a tonne of feathers and a tonne of lead, feathers would certainly need more space.
Take-home facts:
When you begin weight training, you may notice that you weigh more according to the scales. On the other hand, your jeans will feel looser, because muscles are denser and need less room. Instead of the scales, use the fit of your clothes as a guide.
Myth #3:
Fat converts to muscle If our bodies were so remarkable that they could convert fat to muscle, they would also be able to convert a kidney to a heart after a heart attack. Your body’s cells are highly specialised – once a fat cell, always a fat cell. Likewise, muscle fibre will always be muscle fibre; there’s no miracle transformation to turn it into fat.
Take-home facts:
Once you begin weight training, particularly if you include aerobic exercise, you’ll lose fat and at the same time, develop muscles. You could almost be excused for thinking that the now missing fat has been converted to the now present muscle. But in truth, the muscle was always there, it just hadn’t surfaced, because it wasn’t being used.
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