Stronger, Not Bigger

Even after reading about all of the wonderful benefits that strength training can have for women, some women still fear that it will make them overly muscular. Unfortunately, the popular media have reinforced a negative image of very muscular women. When most people think of strength training, they may picture the excessively muscled women who compete in professional bodybuilding contests ' the extreme results of strength training. Women who compete in any sporting event, whether bodybuilding, weightlifting, powerlifting, or softball, are often at the edge of the spectrum when it comes to what is healthy. These competitors sometimes do things that average people wouldn't consider doing, such as training extremely aggressively many times a day, putting their social lives on hold for the sake of their sport, and experimenting with drugs to further their careers. So when you see that exaggerated muscularity on some female athletes, recognize that these women are not the norm and are indeed the exception, and that they are likely doing something in their training that is over and above what most people would do.

Why does it seem that when you start an exercise program, particularly a high-intensity weightlifting one, you puff up right away? You definitely aren't imagining your body getting bigger, although it may be something of an optical illusion. When you begin a weight-training program, your body realizes how hard you are working now (compared to your previous workout of, say, sitting on the couch and popping bonbons in your mouth), and stores carbohydrate to use for fuel. Carbohydrate sources are largely filled with water, and new exercisers often see a small weight gain and an increase in their muscular size from this water. What is actually happening is very similar to the bloating you experience in your monthly cycle ' it's just in your muscles and not confined to your abdomen. It's not new muscular tissue; rather, your muscles are a little swollen with water. Who wants that? No one, I am sure, and it might not happen to you. The good news is that the bloating is a temporary condition, and as soon as your body knows you are serious about your weight-training program, it will regulate itself and not store excess amounts of carbohydrate that can lead to that puffy look. If you stay on a consistent weight-training program for at least a month, you will notice that the bloated look decreases and find that the sculpted look is just around the corner. If you stay hydrated throughout your workout and your entire day, water will be readily available to your muscles and your body will need to store less carbohydrate to make water.