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You Will Not Look Like a Bodybuilder
By Cindy | February 13, 2008
Bodybuilders distort most women’s idea of strength training. The specialized training, intense schedules, extremely regimented diet and steroid use results in masculine muscle development.The ability to reach the level of muscular performance necessary to look like a bodybuilder is similar to the runner training to win a marathon. A woman’s body benefits and becomes more shapely through strength training when the goal is physical health and fitness.
The primary reason women do not build muscle mass like men is testosterone. It is the major hormone necessary to build muscles. The testosterone level found in women is between ten and thirty times less than in men. Simply put, women’s bodies are not meant to develop muscle mass like men.
Muscles are made up of individual muscle fibers. Strength training has two effects on muscle fibers–it builds them and strengthens them. As muscles are stressed, they will begin to use more fibers which results in increased efficiency and/or increase the size of fibers to perform the work.
For the average female, increases in muscle size are relatively small. Consequently, the primary mechanism for strength improvements appears related to increased muscle fiber recruitment and improved coordination patterns of fiber recruitment. 1
Certain body types gain and develop muscle tone easier than others based on genetic design. The recognized body types are endomorphs, endomesomorphs, ectomorphs, and mesomorphs.
- Endomorphs: low muscle and high fat
- Endomesomorph: high muscle and high fat
- Ectomorph: low muscle and low fat
- Mesomorph: high muscle and low fat
Although mesomorphs have the greatest potential to develop muscular physiques, ectomorphs and endomorphs can add significant amounts of muscle through sensible strength training. Ectomorphs typically achieve more muscular physiques when they increase their daily consumpstion of nutritious foods, with attention to sufficient protein and complex carbohydrates. Endomorphs and endomesomorphs may benefit from a nutrition program that emphasizes a low-fat, moderate-calorie diet.2
How muscles are connected to the skeleton also affects their development.
“People who have relatively short muscles have a lower potential for building large muscle size, whereas those with relatively long muscles have a higher potential for building large muscle size. Although everyone has the capacity to build larger muscles, most successful body builders have the genetic advantage of relatively long muscles throughout their bodies.”2
What does a Female Bodybuilder do?
- Strength train 5 to 6 days a week
- Each routine is dedicated to different areas of the body. I.e. Lower body, Monday; Upper body Tuesday, etc.
- Each workout is at least an hour of intense training.
- At least 5 30-60 minute cardiovascular routines a week.
- Specialized diet
- Supplements, supplements, supplements
- Use of anabolic steroids
- Here’s what Klaudia Larson, Swedish Female Pro-Body Builder and Model, does to prepare for competition
- For more information, you can check out this site: Body Build Female
What does Strength Training for Health and Fitness look like?
- Strength train 2 to 3 days a week
- As little as 20 to 30 minutes per session
- Typically focused on a full body routine consisting of 1 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions
- Minimum of 3 30 minute cardiovascular routines a week
- Goal to achieve a balanced, nutritionally sound diet
- Take at least one good multivitamin
The fear of looking like a bodybuilder is unjustified. The time commitment for receiving the benefits and results of strong, lean muscles is minimal. As the body’s largest tissue, strength training results in improved image, metabolism, strength, health and self confidence in as little as four weeks.
References:
Freedson, Patty. “Strength Training for Women.” IDEA Personal Trainer Magazine. Jul-Aug 2000. 13 February 2008. <http://us.commercial.lifefitness.com/content.cfm/strengthtrainingforwomen_1>.
Westcott, Wayne, Building Strength and Stamina , 2nd. Edition, (Champaign, IL: 2003) . 4, 16.
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Topics: Fitness Knowledge |
February 13th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Good post! I went on a muscle building program a few years ago and got my lean body mass to 115 pounds from 105 pounds of lbm. It really changed my body shape and now I just need to get this excess fat off again and I will SEE my muscle again LOL. ; )
February 14th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Hi Cindy, this is so true. I do 2 sessions of strength building each week and don’t look anything like a body builder! I am building my muscle tone back up though, which I love…..still no bulging muscles, though.
February 14th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
I used to lift weights when I was younger but never looked like a body builder, although I had excellent muscle tone.
Now, at 43, I can use all the muscle tone I can get! I can really see the advantage to adding weight to a regular routine.
A book I’m reading called “Younger Next Year” says that cardio will prolong your life and weight lifting will make the quality better.
February 15th, 2008 at 4:53 am
I have never seen a woman with muscles like this.
Amazing!
February 15th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Thanks for sharing your experience Bev. It’s always wonderful to hear the success stories! Don’t worry, you will see your muscle again!!! Way to keep charging forward.
Feeling strong is a great motivator to keep going JoLynn. Fantastic.
I love the quote Jan. It’s so true. I’ll have to check out Younger Next Year. Thanks for the recommendation.
If you really want to see some women with muscles Raymond, check out this site: http://bodybuildbid.com/articles/msolympia/msolympgal.html
The differences from the 1980 Ms. Olympia Contest to 2006 are crazy!