You will not get bulky in the gym
February 27, 2011 4 Comments
Raise your hand if this sounds like you…
You belong to a gym. You pay $40 a month in membership fees, which include amenities like basketball and racquetball courts, state of the art weight machines, free weights, a pool, a sauna, and maybe even daycare.
What do you do when you go to the gym?
Cardio.
You do cardio…
You pick out an elliptical machine or treadmill and you sweat it out for a good 30-60 minutes. Sometimes you read a magazine, sometimes you listen to The Immaculate Collection on your iPod, sometimes you watch TV.
You can put your hand down now.
Understand this. Cardio workouts are great for you. You can definitely burn calories (not that you were counting) and it’ll keep your heart and lungs in good shape. However, straight cardio will not dramatically change the appearance of your body, or offset the ice cream you had last night.
Why? … because calories are only part of the equation.
You say you don’t lift weights because….
“You Don’t Want To Get Bulky.” As if picking up a 5-10lb dumbbell is going cause you to swell up like the Incredible Hulk.
In reality, you do not have the hormones necessary to be bulky, namely testosterone, a male hormone.
And think about it…
Most men can barely achieve a “bulky” appearance with weight training alone. That’s why too many of them turn to extreme supplements, and even steroids or growth hormone in order to beef up.
So, what will lifting weights/resistance exercises actually do to you?
Well for one, it can give you the kind of curves that you want (the kind that render men helpless). Feminine strength is sexy. Sculpting your body with weight training can give you a longer, leaner, tighter appearance (read: opposite of bulky). It can lift, and tone, and shape in ways that cardio won’t.
Exercises like squats, lunges, and calf raises turn nice legs into showstoppers. Shoulder presses, push-ups, rows, curls, and kickbacks make you goddess of summer dresses and spaghetti straps.
Bulky = a Myth
Would you like to know some real side effects of female weight training….
-A boosted metabolism:
Weight training can burn as much or more calories than a comparable intensity cardio session. How ’bout that… And as an added bonus, resistance training increases your resting metabolism all day long, even after your workout session is over. That sounds good, right?
-Strength:
Strength is sexy, the kind of strength that’s noticeable in your posture, in the way you move across a room…
-Visible results:
Cardio can keep your weight in check, but otherwise, only resistance training will give you visible results. The kind you notice in the mirror. The kind he noticed before you had a chance to look in the mirror.
-Confidence
Last time I checked, that was sexy too.
And let’s not forget the simple fact, that a girl who is “working on her fitness”, by definition, is a pretty appealing thing to most men. It screams, I’m built to last, I care, and most importantly, I look and feel fantastic without these clothes on. Nothing breaks stereotypes and indicates “I’m serious about this” than a girl who knows her way around the weight room.
So, do yourself a favor. Declare the “Weights = Bulky” myth dead. Take a few minutes to learn about weight training, proper form, and proper diet. Incorporate a few resistance moves into your next workout. Be the girl who stands out by confidently rep-ing a set of tricep kickbacks with perfect form.
Fitness, Lifestyle
Thank you. This way I can just show my girl this article/site instead of having to say it myself, and then she can get mad at you for dropping the truth instead.
nice
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