Debunking the Bulk Myth

Everybody has opinions when it comes to fitness, weight loss, and the path to optimal health. There are rumors, misinformation and myths galore! They’re as variant as ‘You shouldn’t eat fat’, to ‘Eat all the fat’; and ‘Do as much cardio as possible’, to ‘Lift only heavy weights.’ How can the average person know where to start?

What’s worse, each new trend seems to negate its predecessor and all contribute even more to the misinformation out there about fitness and health – especially as it relates to women. And of all the misinformation out there, nothing is more common than the fear women have about ‘bulking up’. If I had a dollar . . .. The fact of the matter is it’s just not going to happen in 99.9% of cases. Here’s why you don’t have to worry:

1. The T Word

It’s true that women have a significantly different hormone profile than men. It’s also true that

women have a significantly different hormone profile than other women! Though the amount of lean mass a woman can put on is variable, without an abundance of testosterone, “bulk” is tough to achieve. Speaking in general terms, an average American woman would have to work out upwards of 3 hours per day, 3 days per week, while maintaining a very strict diet contoured to their specific lean-mass needs to attain any visible level of bulk. But who’s to say what ‘bulky’ is.

2. Bulk is in the Eye of the Beholder

What is bulk, anyway? It is undeniable that our society has shifted from appreciating a beanpole aesthetic to going gaga for a more athletic build. Even if that wasn’t the case, who cares?! Only you know what bulk looks like to you. Fortunately, you can sculpt your body. You can be your own designer. You have the power to give it direction and mold it. See where I’m going with this? Working with weights – from light to heavy, gives you the power to create the you of your dreams. If your body is the clay, weights are the sculpting tools. In fact, when it comes to creating the body you seek, cardio can be part of the problem.

3. Skinny Fat vs. Strong and Slim

Ever been on the treadmill feeling like a hamster on a wheel? ‘Run, run, run’, they say… ‘It will make you skinny!’ Well, what “they” don’t tell you is that cardio not only eats up your energy, it also eats your muscle! But you ‘don’t want to get muscles’…. Maybe you should!

Why do women need muscle? The more ‘lean’ mass you have on your body, the more calories your body burns AT REST! That means less hamster-wheeling for the same (or likely an even better!) lean physique! It takes less time too – per workout and for the long-haul!

Weight training, under the right supervision of a good Fitness Coach, will guide you to that body you want faster and more efficiently. Everything you heard about cardio just isn’t true. Google it and research it for yourself. Whether you use light weights at high repetition, body weight, heavier weights, or an appropriate mix of all – this is the most efficient path to attaining good health and fitness.

Consult a physician before making any big lifestyle change. But once you’re all clear, you should probably consider conquering your fear of the squat rack, some light weights, bands, and maybe even throw in a deadlift or two. You won’t get big – you’ll get lean, mean and better!

So, forget what you heard about weight lifting and all those other myths and step out of your comfort zone and grab some weights! Nothing good ever came from comfort zones, anyway!

Come join us for a few reps and start the path to the YOU of your dreams!