“To lose confidence in one’s body is to lose confidence in oneself.”
Understandably, even today, preconceived notions of the weight room culture and weightlifting in general still dominate. Many women and girls avoid the necessary strength training and using the right equipment because they feel judged or not capable. Others would rather avoid it altogether because they are afraid of bulking up.
Whether or not this fear is rational, there’s no doubt it’s real. While boys look forward to lifting weights so they can add impressive pounds of muscle to their frame, many girls think working in the weightroom means they’ll inevitably end up looking like the female bodybuilders they’ve seen on TV. For these girls, their fear is just part of being an image-conscious adolescent.
TAKING ACTION
As strength coaches, it’s our job to help female athletes realize that strength training doesn’t mean they’ll start to resemble a body builder’s physique. As coaches, it is important to make it clear what a female athlete can expect to see from strength training, and it’s all positive.
Start by understanding her concern and then go on to address the changes she may see and feel. The muscle tone she’ll develop in the weightroom means decreasing body fat and modestly increasing the size of her muscles. That won’t change her overall body size, but it will create a firmer, healthier look.
TAKING ACTION
As strength coaches, it’s our job to help female athletes realize that strength training doesn’t mean they’ll start to resemble a body builder’s physique. As coaches, it is important to make it clear what a female athlete can expect to see from strength training, and it’s all positive.
Start by understanding her concern and then go on to address the changes she may see and feel. The muscle tone she’ll develop in the weightroom means decreasing body fat and modestly increasing the size of her muscles. That won’t change her overall body size, but it will create a firmer, healthier look.
Aside from appearance-related concerns, another part of selling girls on strength training is establishing peer support. The fear of bulking up is, at its root, largely a fear of “sticking out” from others, so one of the surest ways to allay these worries and increase motivation is by conducting all training sessions in groups. Athletes working in teams are much more likely to stick to their programs, and they’ll be pleased to notice positive results–and the absence of unwanted ones–in themselves and their teammates.
Things are shifting and evolving, but we hope coaches provide an opportunity for young women to maximize their potential and development as much as male athletes.
This page was written in courtesy of Training and Conditioning Article
Johnson, R. (2019, September 27). Facing their fears. Training & Conditioning.
MYTH 1: WOMEN SHOULDN’T LIFT HEAVY WEIGHTS BECAUSE IT IS DANGEROUS: Anything is dangerous if you’re doing it incorrectly. With proper form, there’s nothing dangerous about lifting weights. women of all ages and backgrounds can safely learn.
MYTH 2: WOMEN WHO LIFTS WEIGHTS WILL GET BULKY: It’s true, that if you lift enough weights over a long stretch of time, you will gain muscle mass. However, research shows that there aren’t significant differences between how quickly men and women build muscle on similar training plans.
MYTH 3: WOMEN CAN’T LOSE WEIGHT THROUGH LIFTING: In the long-term, strength training will lead to a lean physique. As you build muscle with weightlifting, your body will need to use more energy maintaining all that tissue, which can further increase the number of calories you burn during daily activities.
MYTH 4: YOU SHOULD USE LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOTS OF REPS TO “TONE” MUSCLES. The word “tone” here is misleading because it refers to the idea that you can achieve defined muscles by changing their shape but without bulking up. In reality, you can’t gain muscle definition without gaining some muscle mass (or losing body fat).
MYTH 5: IT’S SCARY AND INTIMIDATING TO LEARN LIFTING WEIGHTS: Coaching is crucial for beginners, but it’s also valuable for even the most experienced athletes to improve their technique and make progress. Remind players of the technique, physical, psychological benefits to build confidence and passion for strength training.
Landsverk, G., & Zarndt, J. (2022, May 26). 5 weightlifting myths for women and the health benefits women who lift weights gain. Insider. https://www.insider.com/guides/health/fitness/weight-lifting-myths-for-women?utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=topbar
