"Having different points of view is how we all learn to find our way in the world. The key is to be open to others' ideas and you may just find they have a very valid point, not necessarily a path you might choose, but something you had never thought of."
-- Fanny (eDiets member)

The quotation above speaks volumes. So often in life we develop a very narrow perspective on things. We look at certain topics with conviction and believe our thoughts to be absolutely true. However, I’ve found in so many cases in our lives, just a bit of knowledge or a slight shift in perspective can spell the difference between euphoria versus ongoing frustration.

I want you to do something while you read this article. As you read through it -- don’t judge it. Simply read and digest the words and completely attempt to understand the concepts. Throw out any pre-conceived notions or ideas you have and let’s really take a close look at the value of weight training for women.

I can’t even begin to count the number of female clients who’ve said to me, “Raphael, let’s be careful with weight training because I don’t want to get bulky looking -- I don’t want to look like a female version of Arnold Schwarzenegger.”

 Do you know what bulk is? Bulk is simply excessive body fat that sits on top of muscle. A lot of guys like to get a bit of bulk because it makes them feel bigger and stronger. They’re willing to put up with some elevated body fat to look thick and dense. However, I’ve never met a woman who had this as a goal.

Your goal is to lose fat -- so weight training obviously has merit, and bulk is not an issue. Let me spell it out again so it’s perfectly clear -- you will not have a bulky look if you lift weights and reduce body fat levels.

Now let’s take a look at male versus female hormones. The hormone responsible for gaining significant amounts of muscle is testosterone. However, women have approximately one-third the testosterone of men and, based on nature, a predominance of estrogen. So unless she’s on anabolic steroids or growth hormones, she won’t get muscles as big as a man -- and certainly not as big as "Ahhhnold."

There may be some naturally muscular women with large bone structures that train like bodybuilders who attain more muscle than the average woman, but even that would require intense and very heavy weight training on an ongoing basis. It’s nothing for you to worry about, no matter what your genetic structure, because you’re not going to work out like that.

To add some fuel to the points above, it’s a perfect time to tell you that for every pound of muscle you gain, your body burns 30-50 additional calories per day. Muscle actually stimulates the metabolism. In addition, when we lift weights with sufficient overload, we create micro trauma to the muscle. During rest and recovery the muscle repairs and becomes stronger.