I don’t want to be bulky and look like a man.

Lifting weights is dangerous!

It’s too complicated and I don’t know where to begin.

I hate to call you ladies out but that’s the mindset some of you have when it comes to women lifting heavy weights

For some reason, weightlifting for women has gotten labeled as bad and something you shouldn’t do, similar to the whole “carbs make you gain weight nonsense.”

Every time you go to the gym, you put your head down and speed walk right past the weights section, making a beeline straight to the cardio machines. 

Let me just say, you’re missing out.

Women lifting heavy weights isn’t dangerous, or overly complicated, and it won’t make you look like a man.

The truth is trying to get toned without lifting weights would be like trying to drive without a steering wheel.

Good luck with that 😉

Strength training isn’t just about realizing your body goals either.

Ultimately, if you want to look and feel your best, gain better health, and unleash your inner badass (let’s be real, it looks cool to be able to lift heavy things), then strength training is a must 💪

Before we dive in, here’s a quick rundown of what we’ll be talking about:

• Why women lifting heavy weights WON’T make them bulky
• How to determine what “heavy” means for you
• The many benefits of weightlifting for women
• How to start lifting weights so you can reap all the rewards ASAP 

 

Do women lifting heavy weights make them bulky?

There are plenty of myths about female weight training…

“Won’t lifting weights make me big and bulky like a man?”

It won’t.

“I heard protein will make me bulky too.”

Not true either, and odds are, you’re not getting enough protein.

You have this image in your mind that women lifting heavy weights means transforming into She-Hulk.

Pick up one dumbbell and you think you’re on your way to looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger back in his bodybuilding prime.  

That’s the furthest thing from reality for women lifting heavy weights. 

It is extremely (and I mean EXTREMELY) difficult to achieve the type of body you might be envisioning.

It would take years…

Upon years…

Upon YEARS (did I say years?) of constant lifting, eating an insanely high number of calories (the number you’re thinking of is way less than it’d actually be), and pushing yourself to the limit to build that kind of muscle. 

That doesn’t just apply to women, it goes for men too. 

Also, a woman’s body isn’t set up the same way as a man’s. 

Women have significantly less testosterone than men, so lifting heavy weights won’t result in anywhere near close to the bulky or big muscles men can achieve. 

If you ever did find yourself in a situation where you’ve developed more muscle than you’d like, you can easily scale things down and modify your training so that it better aligns with your body goals.

 

What is considered lifting heavy for a woman?

It’s the same as what’s heavy for a man because the word “heavy” is relative.

How heavy YOU should lift will be different from the next person. 

The same goes for how long your workouts should last.

But yeah, your heavy might be 5 pound dumbbells on a particular exercise while Betty Biceps over there is using 30 pounds.

And that’s 100% okay.

We’re all at different places on our strength training journeys, so their “heavy” won’t be your “heavy.”

It’ll take some experimenting to find out what heavy is for YOU, and the amount of weight you lift will depend on the exercise.  

Here’s a good, general rule of thumb to follow when you’re just starting out:

Choose a weight that allows you to perform between 8-12 reps with proper form.

If you’re unsure of the proper form for an exercise, simply look it up on Google or YouTube.

By the way, make sure you don’t fall into the trap of thinking it’s only a good workout if you’re sweating so much it looks like you just hopped out of the pool.

Or you have to be sucking wind like a fish out of water.

Neither of those mean SQUAT in terms of workout effectiveness.

Are you applying progressive overload and lifting heavier and heavier weight over time? 

That’s what counts and will lead to the results you want.  

 

4 key benefits of weightlifting for women

All of the myths about female weight training out there can easily drown out all the benefits.  

That’s not happening on my watch. 

Here are 4 noteworthy benefits of women lifting heavy weights:

 

1. Weightlifting for women helps to lose fat and build muscle

Sure…

Cardio on the treadmill, elliptical, or StairMaster burns calories.

So does swimming, biking, or hopping on the rower machine.

But if you only focus on cardio exclusively, you’ll just end up with a “skinny fat physique.”

You’re not necessarily obese but you’re soft and pudgy in places you don’t want. 

Your goal is a physique that actually looks fit, toned, and has some definition and shape to it though, right? 

In order to accomplish that and do things like grow your glutes and lose fat, you need strength training in your life.

Women lifting heavy weights means building muscle, and muscle = a higher metabolism  and more fat loss. 

Now, I’m not telling you to NEVER do cardio.

You should be getting 7,500-10,000 steps every single day.

If you want, you can also add 1-2 LISS cardio sessions per week for 20-30 minutes each.

The main takeaway for women lifting heavy weights is this…

To get the results I know you want for yourself, spend less time on the treadmill, in boot camp classes, or doing HIIT…and more time strength training.

 

2. Weightlifting for women improves bone density

With age comes weaker bones and that ultimately puts you at a greater risk of fractures.

Strength training has been shown to improve bone density, which is especially important for women.

Women have a higher chance of developing osteoporosis than men (menopause comes with hormones that negatively impact bone density). 

Women lifting heavy weights is a way to offset that bone loss.

And it doesn’t matter how old you are.

You could be 40, 50, 60, 70, 0r 80+.

I actually saw someone online who started strength training for the first time in their life at 80 years old. 

…80 YEARS OLD!!!

So, what’s your excuse? 

It’s NEVER too late to make a change, especially one like weightlifting that has tremendous benefits for your health.

 

3. Weightlifting for women raises libido levels

Women lifting heavy weights means more libido and increased sex drive.

And let’s be honest, who doesn’t like sex? 

I can guarantee the way strength training increases libido levels isn’t what you think.

Before I tell you what it is, I need you to promise you won’t freak out, okay? 

Lifting weights actually raises your testosterone levels slightly….

I know you’re probably over there right now thinking to yourself, “See, I told you women lifting heavy weights transforms them into men.” 

But it’s not like that at all, let me explain. 

I know testosterone is often thought of as a strictly male hormone. 

But women actually have testosterone too, just in smaller amounts.

Rest assured, women lifting heavy weights doesn’t mean “manly” features or anything like that. 

Strength training provides your body with just the right amount of testosterone to give a boost to your libido.

Also, testosterone does more than raise your libido. 

It also plays key roles in bone density (like we just talked about), brain function, mood, and your energy levels.

 

4. Weightlifting for women means more confidence

Lifting weights adds shape to your body, helps you become more toned, and it improves your health. 

Those are all amazing benefits for sure amazing benefits for sure.

But I’ve saved another preeeetty good one for last.

Do you remember those “Presidential Fitness Tests” they made you take in school?

The one where you tried to get as many push-ups, crunches, pull-ups, etc as you could in a minute? 

I remember my gym teacher telling us to just do “girl push-ups” if we couldn’t do “regular” ones. 

… As if the “girl” version was inferior. 

And I see that issue playing itself out in society as a whole.

I feel like society views being strong, tough, or lifting heavy weights as a “manly” trait, which is just absolutely ludicrous.

Being strong isn’t reserved for just men!

And there’s no better way to prove that than by women lifting heavy weights.

It’s not just about your physical strength either.

Lifting weights builds a resiliency that will carry over into other areas of your life.

It lets you know you can dig down deep and push through whatever’s going on in life when things get tough 

You’ll be able to face challenges head on and have the confidence to know you’ll always come out on top, no matter what.

 

How to start lifting heavy weights for women

I get it.

Lifting heavy weights can be intimidating.

The gym is packed with people who all seem to know a ton more about fitness and working out than you do. 

Your main concern is not wanting to look stupid and you definitely don’t want to wander around the gym looking clueless.

Am I right?

Before you even think about working out, realize this:

We all have to start somewhere.

If you’re feeling super nervous about working out in the gym, try this:

I want you to think about someone you admire workout/fitness-wise. 

It could be someone at your gym, a fitness trainer you saw online, etc.

Now, imagine them at the very beginning of their workout journey. 

Are you picturing someone who knows exactly what they’re doing? 

You shouldn’t be.

You should see someone who’s a beginner, just like you might be.  

That should give you A TON of confidence.

If they can get to where they are now, then why can’t you?

That’s a rhetorical question, because you can, as long as you remain consistent.  

I can also promise you people are too focused on themselves to worry about what you’re doing in the gym. 

 

What should your workouts look like?

I dedicated an entire post to walking you through the different types of exercises to include in your workouts, plus the number of sets and reps to do them for. 

Here’s that post:

COMPLETE STRENGTH TRAINING GUIDE

Once you have your workout routine made, just make sure you switch up your workout routine every so often.

That doesn’t mean changing your workout every day or every single week (“confusing your muscles” isn’t a real thing).

During your workouts, I want you to focus on two things: 

1. Form over EVERYTHING

You want to pick a weight that’s challenging but still allows you to maintain proper form. 

Lifting lighter weight but having perfect form will always trump lifting heavy weight with terrible form. 

2. Progressive overload

I mentioned this earlier but it’s worth repeating. 

Again, progressive overload is when you gradually increase the amount of weight you lift over time, and it’s the key principle to your strength training success. 

 

How much weight should a woman lift to tone?

That whole “lower weight for high reps” thing is one of the biggest myths about female weight training.

The truth is your workouts should contain a variety of different weights and rep ranges if you want to be toned:

• You should be lifting heavier weight for lower reps
• Medium weight for medium reps
• And lighter weight for higher reps

 

Final thoughts about women lifting heavy weights

Always remember, strength and power are sexy, regardless of gender.

So to all my ladies out there, load some weight on that bar!

Or grab the heaviest pair of dumbbells you can, and get to work 💪

You won’t get big and bulky, or morph into a man.

Rather, lifting weights is one of the best things you can do to feel strong, build confidence, achieve better health, and realize your body goals.