| You can be forgiven for believing that women | | | | very serious about their training and the |
| don't look very feminine when they work out | | | | exercises they engage in. |
| with weights. | | | | |
| | | | Women in general have much less genetic |
| The wrong impression is given by the media | | | | predisposition to building muscle than men. |
| when women bodybuilders are featured. They | | | | |
| are generally shown when they are at their | | | | A female bodybuilder for example may have |
| ripped and vascular contest peak or when | | | | about 5kg more lean muscle mass than the |
| actually training with weights in the gym. | | | | average woman. A male bodybuilder though |
| This is when their skin is thinnest and fat | | | | could outweigh the average man by up to 50kg |
| is lowest in order to show the most detail | | | | in lean muscle mass. |
| and striation of every muscle. On top of | | | | |
| that, all the images people see are when | | | | A male bodybuilder will often be recognized |
| muscularity is maximized by the poses. | | | | as such even when fully dressed in the |
| Rarely are they shown standing normally with | | | | street. Even competitive female bodybuilders |
| muscles relaxed. They are instead shown | | | | on the other hand, are rarely identified as |
| pumped and tight from exercise. | | | | bodybuilders when they are dressed in normal |
| | | | street clothes. |
| Furthermore, women bodybuilders only look | | | | |
| like that once or twice a year at the end of | | | | Because women just don't have the natural |
| the training for competition cycle. | | | | hormonal makeup to develop giant muscles, the |
| | | | changes they make from bodybuilding exercise |
| This misconception that if you work out with | | | | are much less pronounced than in men. |
| weights you are going to balloon out to look | | | | |
| muscular and lose your femininity deters many | | | | An average 80kg (175lb) man who starts |
| women from even considering resistance | | | | serious bodybuilding training might be able |
| training as part of their body shaping | | | | to put on about 15kb (35lb) of solid muscle |
| exercise and health program. | | | | in a five year period without using steroids. |
| | | | Over the same period a woman equally serious |
| Also, many males and females think it is not | | | | about training might be able to gain about |
| ladylike for women to workout with heavy | | | | 5kg, a third of the solid muscle that a man |
| weights as in power lifting or bodybuilding. | | | | could gain. And that's if she has favourable |
| | | | genetics and works out hard. |
| Society ascribes various feelings and traits | | | | |
| that should go with the words masculinity and | | | | Women reshape their bodies without adding |
| femininity. Men for example have big muscles | | | | muscle bulk. As a woman training with |
| and don't cry at the movies; women don't have | | | | weights you are more likely to improve your |
| big muscles and do cry at the movies. | | | | shape, tone and proportions than build great |
| | | | muscle mass. |
| Life however, is not so straight forward | | | | |
| because men can cry at the movies and women, | | | | The last thing you need to be concerned about |
| at least some of them, can develop big | | | | with exercise is developing large muscles if |
| muscles. Genetics plays a big role in how | | | | you don't want them. Even if you did want |
| much muscle a woman can develop. Very very | | | | them, they are incredibly difficult to build. |
| few, in fact, are actually able to develop | | | | Instead you can look forward to body changes |
| the big muscles that lend to the impression | | | | that make you sexy and attractive as well as |
| that muscle building women look more | | | | fit and healthy. |
| masculine. Those who do build big muscles are | | | | |