Busting Common Myths About Women Who Weight Lift

When you look over at the weight-lifting corner in your local gym, what do you see? The chances are that it’s all pretty masculine-heavy over there, with men popping their chests and flexing their biceps like it’s Mr World 2026. It’s enough to put you off even trying to lift a few light weights now and again, but did you know that weight lifting can actually be very beneficial to women as well? 

In fact, we don’t really know why weights ever became a solely masculine concern. Sure, it might be a pretty alpha focus to want those big muscles, but scientists state plenty of weight training benefits for women too, including muscle maintenance, stronger bones, and better heart health. 

Even knowing this, you might find it hard to get going, and having all those men around probably isn’t the only problem. You may also feel put off by some commonly held but wildly false myths surrounding women who lift weights. Below, we’ll bust them once and for all to help you finally feel confident in building a little muscle! 

Myth 1: ‘Muscles will make me look masculine’

If you asked a hundred women why they don’t lift weights, we’re betting the vast majority of them will state this misbelief or some iteration of it. After all, when you think of bodybuilding, you probably imagine the ripped male bodies of the ‘World’s Strongest Man’. We’ve simply been conditioned to believe that weight lifting is all about buff, masculine muscle. But guess what, ladies? That’s not the only outcome. 

Admittedly, looking at pro-level female bodybuilders can mess with your perceptions, but scientists urge you to remember this: while women are technically capable of building as much muscle as men, this will only really happen through some pretty dedicated effort towards hypertrophy across years, using weight types that are carefully selected for muscle tone. That’s because women have significantly less testosterone. So, a general strength training regime will genuinely be more about strength than building those traditionally ‘masculine’ biceps you often see on screen. 

Myth 2: ‘I won’t lose much weight’ 

While we’re luckily well past the days when weight loss is seen as the only possible focus for women in the gym, you might rule out weights if this is still your ultimate goal. After all, how can standing and lifting something help you to burn as much fat as, say, running on a treadmill?

Well, you’d be surprised. In fact, while cardio exercises help you lose more calories as you work out, weight training burns calories as you build muscle. Think of it like this – lifting weights in the first place burns calories, and it also helps you to keep weight off after the fact at a rate of around six per hour for up to twelve hours post-workout. That adds up to an additional 72 calories lost each time you work out!

Myth 3: Difficult recoveries are inevitable

You possibly prepare yourself for a few aches after every gym session, but we’re betting your expectation for long recovery periods grows after weight training. And you wouldn’t be completely wrong. After all, the whole concept of weights is to build muscle, which takes time, and a lot of rest post-session. 

But that doesn’t mean you’re doomed to days in bed after a heavy session. In fact, experts state that everything from supportive wrist wraps that stabilise your muscles and joints, to a protein-heavy diet post-session, will help to keep recoveries shorter. A healthy sleep routine also plays a key role in getting your muscles back on track, so regular bedtimes that give you plenty of shut-eye mean you potentially needn’t accept days of suffering!

Myth 4: Older women should stick with lighter weights

There’s also a weird myth that post-menopausal women who are 50+ shouldn’t lift heavy weights, but do you know what we say to this? Rubbish! While there is some truth in the fact that women’s bone health and muscle tone can take a beating as estrogen levels decline, the reality remains that women over 50 can benefit even more by choosing heavier weights.

Why?

Well, for the most part, that’s because lifting weights is one of the most effective ways to stimulate muscle protein synthesis, which can keep you stronger and fitter for longer. In fact, when done with proper posture and supportive equipment, weight lifting is one of the safest exercises older women can choose! 

Worried about these myths about weight training for women? Don’t be, because we’ve busted them all! However, if you want to find out more about how lifting weights can help, speak to a fitness professional for the best guidance.

Top photo by Samantha Gades on Unsplash