Debunking Bulk
Earlier this week, I asked a conditioned female student in my Total Body Conditioning class why she was always using 3lb weights in class. Her response was, "I don’t want to bulk up and look manly. I bulk easily."
Her theory of how muscle is built is not uncommon in women. Her response, quite honestly, is something I hear often. Today, with the help of my friend, NPC National Level Competitor, Jason Fuller (Xtremelyfit.net), we are going to explain why women physically cant bulk the same way a man does and discuss the benefits to women who increase their weights in a group exercise class.
Simply put, women don’t have the same level of hormones as men. Yes, there are women bodybuilders, but they work very hard for that look and supplement their diet in order to be able to achieve and maintain those gains. In addition, group exercise classes use high repetitions (15-25) to exhaust muscle groups. With a rep range that high, if a woman uses 3 lbs and is still not reaching exhaustion, the body just maintains.
If a woman were to increase her weights to 5lbs for example, she would likely fatigue at 15-20 reps which is the point where the body will sustain energy by burning fat while simultaneously improve muscle tone and definition. It’s at this level where cardiovascular and muscular improvements are seen and where women can start to increase their bone density and metabolism.
Women, lacking in testosterone who really want to build or bulk up, would need to consume 1.5g of protein per pound of bodyweight a day. She would also have to lift heavy enough where her body reaches failure at 6-10 reps. It is at this level the Central Nervous System recognizes the need to overcome the stress being placed on the muscle and will therefore grow. Generally speaking, group exercise classes are not formatted for this, nor do they provide weights heavy enough for this phenomenon to occur.
Lifting 5-10 lbs in a group power or total body conditioning class 2-3 times a week will not get you ripped. What it will do is make you look lean, toned, increase bone density lessening your chance of osteoporosis, and help you rev up your metabolism so you’re burning more calories when you’re not at the gym. If the 3lbs you’ve been using in your favorite group exercise class is pretty easy, it’s time to step it up and challenge yourself.
