Nutritionist and personal trainer Looi Hong Keat shares the facts regarding weight training and how it does us more good than we realise.

During the last few years, women have made great strides in improving and caring for their bodies. The urge to be fit has become popular in the past decade, and today, women athletes are faster and stronger then ever. Yet, there is a misconception regarding the effects weight training has on the female body. Here, we bust five myths that are keeping you from achieving your fantastic figure.

Myth #1: Weight training makes women bulky and masculine

This myth keeps many women away from weight training. Many think that weight training is for men and that if they do lift weights, they should stick with pink dumbbells, which are much lighter.

When most people think of women and weight training, they automatically relate the image to the professional female bodybuilder strutting her oiled-up mammoth physique across the stage and striking a pose. The reality? Women simply cannot produce as much testosterone (one of the main hormones responsible for increasing muscle size) as males do; therefore, it is impossible for a woman to gain huge amounts of muscle mass by merely lifting weights.

In fact, even men struggle to gain muscle, which is a reason why steroids are popular among men who want to build big muscles. Professional female bodybuilders also use anabolic steroids (synthetic testosterone) along with other drugs in order to achieve that high degree of muscularity.

So rest assured, women who conduct weight training without the use of steroids will simply get the firm and fit cellulite-free looking body that you see in most fitness gyms these days.

Myth #2: Women only need to do cardio and if they decide to lift weights, keep it light

While cardio exercises (running, biking, swimming and cross-training) are important for burning fat and losing weight, they are not the only types of exercises that can help you lose fat. Plenty of people, especially women, avoid strength training like the plague, either because they think they will gain weight or because they prefer cardio work.

If you only perform cardio exercises, your body will burn both muscle and fat for fuel without preserving present muscles, while losing weight. We lose muscle along with fat, especially on a low calorie diet – performing cardio accentuates this phenomenon. Women who incorporate moderate strength training into their workout regime will prevent any loss of muscle tissue.

Myth #3: Weight training makes women gain weight

If a woman is weight training and watching her diet, an increase in muscle mass may sometimes outpace fat loss (initially), resulting in some weight gain at the beginning of your exercise program. The increase in relative weight, equates to an increase in muscle tissue – not fat. And, an increase in muscle tissue translates into an increase in your resting metabolism, which means you burn more calories when engaging in regular daily activity.

In fact, during this time, you will probably find that your clothes are a little loose even if the scale reading may be slightly higher than usual.

Myth #4: Muscle will turn to fat when you stop weight training

Muscle and fat are made up of two totally different types of tissue. Muscle is metabolically active (calorie burning) and fat is metabolically inactive (sits on you). Muscle does not turn to fat, and vice versa.

Usually, when people decide to stop their weight training program, they start to lose muscle (the shrinking of muscle is called atrophy) due to inactivity. Additionally, they also drop their healthier diet at the same time.

Therefore, bad eating habits, combined with the fact that their metabolism is lower due to inactivity, and lower muscle mass, give the impression that muscle is being turned into fat. In reality, what is really happening is that muscle is being lost and fat is being stored.

Myth #5: Women should use lighter weights with high repetitions to tone their muscles

There is a myth, called "The Pink Dumbbell Myth", that leads women to think that they should use lighter weights with higher repetitions to tone their bodies. There is also a belief that this approach somehow burns more fat.

Using lighter weights with higher repetitions will help you increase muscular endurance, but that lean, defined look comes from losing body fat. Muscle responds to resistance, and if the resistance is too light, then there will be no reason for the body to change.

So, does this mean you should not use the light weights with high repetition approach for strength training? The general breakdown of repetitions and what type of weights to use should be based on what you’re setting out to achieve. For example:

• For strength gains: One to six repetitions (heavy weights).
• For gaining muscles and fat loss: Eight to 12 repetitions (medium-heavy weights).
• For endurance: 12 to 16 repetitions or more (light-medium weights).

No matter what range you choose, what’s important is that you’re lifting enough weight that allows you to complete the desired repetitions. For example, if you’re doing 12 bicep curls, choose a weight that allows you to perform those 12 repetitions with good form.

Did You Know?

Research shows that for each pound of muscle earned, you will expend 35 to 50 more calories per day. So, if you gain three pounds of muscle, you will burn 40 more calories per pound, which equates to 120 additional calories per day, which translates into 3,600 additional calories per month and ultimately resulting in a weight loss of 10 to 12 pounds in a single year. Potentially...

MYTH BUSTED?

It is plausible that the high repetition myth originated and was later propagated by bodybuilders who used calorie restrictive diets to shed fat before a contest. Because of their weakened state from dieting, they were unable to use their usual heavier weights. When asked about their use of lighter weights, they explained they were "cutting up" for a contest. This theory may have easily been misunderstood to mean that the lighter weight was used to reduce fat instead of actually being a result of their dietary regime.

Why Weight Training Is Good For You

Weight training can help women develop a stronger heart, bones and connective tissues in muscles. It helps control weight and offers protection against osteoporosis, a major debilitating disease in women after menopause. If you continually stick to a weight-training program, you will begin to see results within two weeks. Your scale may not show it, but your clothes will fit better, and your mirror will reflect this.

Women also do not understand how having more lean muscle mass can actually help boost their metabolism, and in turn, help to burn fat faster. An effective weight loss program will include regular strength training and cardio workouts, done either separately or together, depending on your schedule and goals. Another important component is, of course, eating a healthy diet. By implementing all three components, you can maximise your weight loss and have better health.