One thing I hear women say all the time is "I don't lift weights, because I don't want to get big". That is a myth. A myth that just doesn't seem to go away! Strength training is one of the three components of fitness - strength, cardio vascular endurance and flexibility - you need to do all three to be your fbest shape. Lean and defined, that's what most people want when they say they want to lose weight. I tell them 'Nope, you want to lose fat".
You won't get big by lifting weights, unless that is your specific goal. You would need to increase your caloric intake significantly in order to build that much muscle. Women are not predisposed to building large muscles. We don't have enough testosterone in our system. When you see pictures of bodybuilders, including women, they are huge. They take performance enhancing drugs. Period. I've seen it myself. I competed as a natural bodybuilder. When I was in the back, before a competition, I would see other women who had the side-affects of male hormone and steroid use. It is horrible. Back acne. Enlarged jaw. Enlarged clitoris. Some women even had to tape down their private parts so they wouldn't show through the competition bathing suit. And they were competing in a natural bodybuilding show. Very little drug testing was done, due to the cost. I could never understand why women would do that to their bodies just for a trophy.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, no 5 pound weights. That does not constitute a weight training program. You need to tax your muscle in order to build muscle. I think the term 'build muscle' is how the myth of getting big started. The 'building' part of weight training is actually very small. You create tiny, micro-fiber tears in your muscles whenever you lift weight enough weigt to challenge the muscle. Sounds bad, but it's good! When you create those tiny tears your body has to work at repairing the muscle tissue by knitting it back together. Ever time the body knits a muscle back together, it is stronger then it was before. Repairing the muscles also takes more energy (calories), so your metabolism is raised for the next 24 HOURS(!) after you weight train.
Of course, just lifting weights will not account for significant fat loss, although most of my clients notice a big difference in body composition with in 3-4 weeks of training regularly. You do need to do some cardio (but not much) and develop better eating habits. But you won't have to cut your calories by as much as you would if you didn't lift weights regularly.
There are a lot of really great books out there that will help you design a weight training program. Start slow and build from there. A little soreness is good (that's the discomfort from breaking down the muscle tissue), but I-can't-get-out-of-bed sore, well, that's not so good, although it may happen the first couple of times. You don't even need to join a gym to get a good weight work out. All you need to do is buy a set of dumbbells (NO 5 POUND WEIGHTS) and a bench, and that bench could be a step aerobics bench which you could use for so many different things that I can't even list them all here.
The formula for fat loss? Weight training 2-3 times per week, cardio 2-3 times per week (but short and intense is best) and a good diet. Remember, I don't believe in significantly cutting calories. You should eat when your hungry and stop when your full. Try to get more protein into your diet and try to get rid of starchy carbs, such as white bread, white rice and sugar. Replace them with whole vegies, fruits and whole grains - not whole wheat, but whole grain. There is a big difference.
I often ask clients and my class participants "Do you think I look too muscular". Assuming they are answering honestly, they almost always say no. I lift heavy weights regularly. It keeps me strong, lean and defined.
If you don't believe me, check it out.
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