Should Women Avoid Heavy Weights to Prevent Bulky Muscles?

Whether you work out at home or at the gym, if you are a woman who wants to tone her muscles and gain more strength, you may be wondering whether or not women should use heavy weights. After all, many women think that if you want to prevent bulky muscles, you need to stick with light weights.

But is this true? Should women avoid heavy weights when working out? Keep reading to get the answer.

The Myth

The idea that women avoid heavy weights to prevent bulky muscles is nothing more than a myth. This is because women simply will not get bulked up from lifting heavy objects.

The truth is that, when you lift heavy weights or heavy objects, your muscles will simply get stronger. But this does not necessarily translate to them actually getting any bigger. If you were a woman who was going to take testosterone supplements and eat far too many calories, however, you would indeed get bigger, bulkier muscles as a result.

How to Make It All Work

If you are able to increase the intensity of your workouts, whether you run an extra mile, do a few extra reps, or hold a contraction for a couple more seconds, you are clearly getting stronger. And if you are lifting weights and you are able to increase the amount of weight that you lift, you should be proud of yourself and embrace these positive changes in your body.

To keep your muscles long, lean, and sexy, lift weights, but eat a caloric deficit or at maintenance, if you aren't trying to lose fat. This means you will need to eat healthy foods that will help your muscles become denser and stronger. Your workouts and the right diet will ensure you burn off the fat that lies on top of your muscles, and you will achieve a toned look without the bulk.

By using light weights, you can probably complete 20 or more reps, and this will increase your muscular endurance. However, it will not really build dense, strong, and tight muscles. To get that effect, you need to continually increase the weight of the dumbbells that you use. That is the key to looking fantastic and being strong at the same time.

Should women avoid heavy weights? The answer is simply, “no.” The key is to follow a balanced workout routine and a diet that’s focused on healthy foods that aren’t processed and aren’t loaded with fat and calories.