"Happiness hates the timid! So does science!"Eugene O'Neill
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Big Fine Women
Sometimes those of us of the male persuasion don't like to admit things that we hold deep inside for fear that we'll be made fun of. All of you men out there know exactly what I mean - if we admit we like to burp loudly, then we're accused of being ...
How Much Is Enough?
HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?There is a lot of information on just how much protein you need to eat to gain the muscle you want to. It is true that protein builds muscle mass, but it can also be burned as energy instead of being used to build and recover muscle ...
Weight Loss Motivation Guidelines
Introduction If there is one thing that all dietitians and obesity experts agree on, it is that personal motivation is the foundation of all weight loss success. No matter how healthy the diet-plan, or what combination of calories and nutrition it ...
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There is a lot of misconception and a whole whack of false "claims" regarding women and weight training. The most common question that nearly every women has asked before hitting the weight room is "will I gain huge muscles like Arnold Swatrtzenegger?" - Well, let me put it to you in the simplest way possible - No! There is absolutely no way, humanly possible to look anything like seven time Mr Olympia by simply lifting a few weights - even if you're lifting more than the average girl next door.
Human biology makes it virtually impossible for a woman's body to react to weight training in the same way as it would for a man. Science on the other hand, well that's a different story all together, but we'll touch bases with that a little later.
A woman's body contains high levels of estrogen, whilst men are genetically gifted with the muscle building substance, Testosterone. Although women do posses some level of testosterone (about one-tenth compared to men), with the presence of estrogen being much higher, building massive muscles is highly unlikely. You will no doubt, gain muscle by training hard and following a clean eating plan, irrespective of your gender, but the amount of muscle you stack on is nothing compared to that image stuck in your imagination. So don't worry about a muscle-induced freak taking over your body - it ain't going to happen, unless of course, that's your goal.
With more and more female athletes moving into the professional bodybuilding arena, further misconceptions are created regarding weights and the muscle building process. The average woman believes that if she were to weight train, she would make huge gains and look like those girls they see in muscle magazines. Not only are those professional athletes genetically gifted, but they are also, well, professionals. They eat, sleep, and live their training and diet routines. They work hard, are extremely dedicated and above all, know and understand their bodies well enough to know what measures need to be taken to achieve their goals.
It takes a lot more than a few weight-training sessions and a couple of protein shakes to gain muscles and look anything like a bodybuilder. Professional bodybuilders have not only spent years and years perfecting their shape but, to be blatantly honest, many of the elite group use chemical performance drugs. These substances help them to fill in their genetic imbalance gaps, and assist them with building a more solid, defined physique.
Not forgetting of course, the athletes you see gracing the pages of muscle magazines have undergone major cutting diets and extremely discipline pre contest weeks to achieve that chiselled, super cut look. On an average day, off-season, these athletes look nothing like their photographs.
Now back to the topic at hand - Ladies with muscle not only look great, but they are much healthier than those who are skinny with little or no muscle definition at all. Muscle not only fills your body with tone and definition, but the more you have, the easier it becomes to lose fat. I bet I have your attention now?
Muscle is an fascinating instrument of human biology - as it builds, it requires more fuel, so it speeds up your metabolism - the faster your metabolism, the faster your body buns calories, even at rest. Which means that you will continue to burn calories even while you're sitting on the couch watching Days of our Lives.
So, who said being a couch potato was so bad after all? Just remember you've first got to get that ass into the gym and pump those muscles before taking a time out in front of the tube.
About the author:
Dimi Deliyiannis is the founder and editor of http://www.GetFIT.co.za, a free online magazine with information on training, diet and nutrition. She regularly writes articles for top South African magazines, including: Fitness, Muscle Evolution and Women's Value. Visit her website on http://www.getfit.co.za and sign up for her free monthly fitness supplement on http://www.getfit.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id =227&Itemid=91
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