As a woman, I have to admit throughout the years I have been fed information about why I shouldn't lift heavy weights or push myself and how I should eat, or not eat.
Everyone seems to know something they feel is the 'law' when it comes to giving advice on weight lifting and exercise routines.
What I have here are three false pieces of information I have read up on and also put into practice to test their validity.
1.
If you are Exercising regularly and weight training you can each as much as you want or load up on carbohydrates? Good luck with that! If you want to lose weight, you need to have a calorie deficit at the end of the day.
Your body operates like a bank account.
You put in calories and unless you burn them off then you have excess calories left.
If you want to lose, you need to burn more than you put in.
If you burn a lot, you will have the ability to eat more however if you think there are no limits you are mistaken.
Also we should add here that the types of food will affect weight loss and gain and proper nutrition is key! 2.
If I lift heavy weights I will get bulky like the incredible hulk? Pfft! Nice try! As women we don't have the levels of testosterone in us to create those big muscles.
Women body builders don't happen by 'accident' it involves a great deal of effort, good genes and yes, in some cases some will be taking a synthetic form of testosterone.
They have made a decision to work to look that way and you won't be transformed into having a body like that unless you make that same decision.
3.
We need to lift very light weights and just do more and more repetitions, but mostly we should focus on Cardiovascular exercises? More lies! Resistance builds muscles strength and helps to maintain, even increases our bone mass.
Strength around joints helps with mobility, balance and flexibility.
If you continue to use the same weight that doesn't offer any kind of challenge to the muscle group, then you will see no change and essentially you are doing very little.
Cardio workouts are important in terms of burning calories however you will not get the same benefits you get from strength training as discussed.
You need to continue to increase intensity and resistance to continue to see a benefit.
Too many women hold images of female body builders in their heads thinking that is how they will end up, or perhaps go through their same routine day after day, using the same weight and wonder why they see no change.
Put these lies behind you and learn that strength training is the path to strong muscles, bones and a better quality of life.