Why are women afraid to work out?

Weight training has many advantages health benefitsThis is the case for both men and women. Being a woman and practicing this type of physical exercise are therefore not incompatible, quite the contrary! Going to the gym is a great way to take care of your body. It can help you to lose fat and tone your body. Women and bodybuilding Let's take a look at the prejudices and other received ideas.

1 - Being afraid of being too muscular and looking like a man

FALSE

Becoming too muscular is undoubtedly one of the main women's fears who want to work out.

For a long time, women have had a bad opinion of this physical activity. This is undoubtedly due to the photos of professional female bodybuilding athletes. These photos suggest that bodybuilding will lead to a excessive muscle development and disproportionate.

In fact, these are extreme results obtained through professional and intensive training. The same is true for men. Amateur athletes who do 4 or 5 weight training sessions per week for several years will not have the same muscle development as professional male bodybuilders.

Especially since the women's hormonal system strongly limits hypertrophy (the ability to gain muscle). With a testosterone level between 2 and 5 % of that of men, it is thus impossible for women to build muscle and to reach an excessive muscle volume.

On the other hand, strength training can help women lose weight and sculpt their figure. With a training program designed by a sports coach, the workout will allow you to obtain a flat stomach and harmonious curves.

2 - Thinking that supplements do everything for you

FALSE

Many e-commerce sites praise the virtues of food supplements to lose weight. Unfortunately, it is wrong to think that, without training, taking these supplements alone will be enough to eliminate extra kilos.

In reality, it is useless to consume food supplements alone to sculpt your body, tone up or slim down.

In the context of a weight lossThere is no such thing as a magic bullet. Those who sell pills that are supposed to make you slim down effortlessly are either incompetent or dishonest (and maybe even both).

For burn fat and improve your physical condition, you will need to combine your fitness program with a healthy and balanced diet resulting in a caloric deficit. Indeed, some food supplements (multivitamins, omega 3, whey protein, etc.) can be added to your diet to help you reach your goal.

This will allow you to firm up your figure, tone your muscles and recover more quickly between sessions. But the two basic elements must remain the quality of training and nutrition.

3 - Fear the gaze of others at the gym

FALSE

For a long time, weight rooms in France have been the exclusive domain of men. Fortunately, this is changing. In a country like the United States, things seem much more advanced and it is not uncommon to see fitness rooms with a majority of women.

Still, in France, some women may feel uncomfortable in a gym mainly frequented by men. There are several legitimate reasons for this, often related to the fear of others' gaze.

Indeed, bodybuilding is a discipline where rest periods are numerous. During these periods, the practitioners can either consult their smartphone or watch the other athletes, whether they are men or women. However, don't see this as a judgement. Everyone stays focused on their session without worrying too much about the others.

If you are a beginner, you may be concerned that you don't know how to use a machine or perform an exercise. Keep in mind that we all started weight training at some point. In fact, the overwhelming majority of weight trainers are primarily caring people who will share their passion with you if you ask them for advice.

4 - Being convinced that fat turns into muscle

FALSE

In general, the main motivation for women to work out is to eliminate fat to lose weight. However, they are afraid that the fat will turn into muscle and give them an unpleasant appearance.

This is totally false. Fat and muscle are made up of different cells, adipocytes and myocytes. In biology, a cell cannot be transformed into another type of cell, even if you work out day and night.

Strength training promotes the muscle strengthening and toning the body. The number of calories burned depends mainly on the intensity of the workout. Physical exercise helps to eliminate fatty masses, while the reconstitution of muscle fibers at rest after exercise helps to tone the muscles.

Weight training is therefore a good way toachieve your goals.

5 - Thinking that cardio is more effective than weight training

NEITHER TRUE NOR FALSE

As a sports coach, one of the questions I am often asked is: is it better to cardio or weight training? The answer depends on your goal.

In this question, cardio mostly refers to long-duration, but low-intensity physical efforts, such as running or cycling for example. This slow cardio is recommended to improve endurance. However, it has little effect on fat loss. Indeed, the human body has the ability to quickly get used to this type of effort. For burn caloriesyou should therefore give priority to cardio-training or HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).

For optimal effectiveness, your high-intensity cardio workouts should be complemented by strength exercises. Weight training is ideal for building muscle mass and shaping the muscles of the body, whether it is the buttocks or the pectorals. It also increases your basal metabolic rate. In other words, your body will have to eliminate more calories to provide the energy your body needs.

If you are starting or returning to sports after a long break, take it step by step. Start by doing 3 strength training sessions per week. Then gradually incorporate some slow cardio into your workouts. Then switch to HIIT for best results. Finally, add an extra strength training session during the week, targeting your weak point for example.

6 - Thinking that it is possible to localize fat loss

FALSE

As we have seen, strength training allows you to build muscle, improve tone, work on explosiveness, sculpt your figure, and much more.

Nevertheless, training for a localized fat loss is impossible. For example, it is not feasible to lose your belly only by following a weight training program. By definition, you will also lose fat on other parts of the body.

However, weight training can help to modify the aesthetics of the body through a localized muscle gain. You just need to work the specific area more. Many athletes use this method to make up for lost time or to catch up on their training. a muscular imbalance.

For have a flat stomach or sculpted abs, different exercises such as gainage or burpees have shown their effectiveness. To work the glutes, it is better to do squats, lunges and hip thrusts. In all cases, remember that your diet should be adapted to your objective.

7 - Believing that eating carbohydrates makes you fat

FALSE

It is totally wrong to think that carbohydrates are fattening. Starving yourself of carbohydrates does not help you lose weight. A carbohydrate-free diet can even be dangerous for your health, especially for people with diabetes.

To eliminate fat and slim down, the only effective method is to set up a slight caloric deficitThe amount of carbohydrates, proteins and fats you eat should not be taken away from the macronutrients your body needs. On the other hand, the quantity of each of your macros must be optimized. To do this, don't hesitate to call on a personal trainer who will help you set up a individualized dietwithout hardship.

Conclusion

Now you know why women should work out. This type of physical exercise is a good way to shed unwanted pounds, sculpt your figure, increase your strength and boost your metabolism. If the misconceptions about weight training for women are persistent, many of you have already taken the step. Today, bodybuilding is still too often associated with testosterone and the male universe. But it is certain that things will continue to evolve in the right direction in the coming years.

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