LIFTING WEIGHTS WILL MAKE WOMEN HUGE

Women do not have the levels of testosterone and growth hormone that men do.  It is therefore difficult for women to dramatically increase their muscle mass.  At most, a couple of kilograms of lean muscle above normal lean muscle may be achieved.  There are no special exercises that women or men should do or not do.

MUSCLE WILL TURN INTO FAT

There is no possible way this can happen because muscle and fat are totally separate.  Once we stop training we lose muscle size.  This is when we gain body fat, especially if we keep eating the same amount of food we did when we were exercising.  Our metabolism drops when we lose muscle mass, which means we burn fewer calories than usual, leading to possible body fat gain.

SPOT REDUCTION

We have no choice where we burn fat from.  It varies from individual to individual.  To use fat as a source of fuel it can only be oxidized aerobically during cardio-vascular activities like walking, running, cycling etc.

TONING EXERCISES

This simply means lower levels of body fat so you can see and feel the muscle under the skin.  An un-toned appearance comes from too much fat over the muscle, and not enough muscle to give any shape.  Muscle tone comes from adequate amounts of muscle achieved through high intensity weight training and heavier weights with lower repetitions.  This promotes strength, which in turn stimulates muscle size.

CUTING UP AND SHAPING MUSCLE

Certain exercises do not burn fat from desired body parts.  So performing exercises for a specific body part to reduce fat levels in that area is absurd.  Compound exercises won’t spot reduce but do expend more energy and build more muscle than isolated exercises.  This type of exercise would technically have a greater influence on overall energy expenditure.  Muscle shape is pre-determined by genetics.  Muscles gain and lose size but can’t be reshaped by performing specific exercises.

DIETING

Dieting is calorie restriction which promotes muscle loss and reduces our metabolism, which eventually causes body fat gain.  When a person’s diet ends and normal eating resumes, body fat levels rise due to lower metabolism and lower muscle mass.  Concentrating on maintaining healthy eating habits long term is a much better and permanent solution to fat loss.

CHILDREN AND WEIGHT TRAINING

Weight training causes no damage to bones, growth plates, and muscles of pre-adolescent children.  All research shows positive changes in muscular strength, bone strength, joint stability, posture, sporting performance, injury prevention and self-esteem.

© Kylie Pogson 2000

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