This is one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding females in the fitness industry. Long story short unless females take anabolic steroids or double their food intake (clean food) it won't happen. Hormones play a huge part in determining an individuals size. According to Medline Plus, "Women produce about only 5-7% as much testosterone as men." This means men produce 14-20 times as much testosterone as women. This means women will not increase muscle at nearly the same rate unless they supplement. In turn, ladies are not going to pack on a ton of muscle, even if they are exerting the same amount of effort as men. These are just facts, not opinions. If you are a lady looking to put some muscle, focus on reducing stress and getting a decent amount of sleep! It's proven that stress reduces anabolic (building) hormone levels and increases catabolic (tearing down)hormone. Basically if you are a female and looking to get/remain lean, you better make staying in an anabolic state a priority.

Focus on these two things:

*Aim for at least 7 hours of sleep

*Consume unprocessed foods like lean meats, veggies, fruits and nuts. 

ITS THAT EASY!

Myth #2: If You Want to Tone Muscle, Lift Light Weight for High Reps

Put those small pink dumbbells away! Women need much more than those tiny 5 pounders. First things first. Heavy is a relative term. For a 115 Lb. female something may be heavy to her but not heavy to a 200 Lb. Male. Next, to get "toned" a certain level of stress has to be applied to the muscles and joints to create an adaptation to allow for lean muscle growth. Plenty of studies have show that high reps have been shown to be inferior to moderate and low reps while trying to increase hypertrophy or muscle growth. AKA lean and "toned" muscles. When you consistently train with high reps you develop what's called sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. This makes your muscles appear puffy and swolen. Most women prefer to build lean muscles. In this case they are searching for myofibrillar hypertrophy. This is actually increasing the size of the muscle fibers.

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So what rep ranges should females be doing to improve their physique? It always depends, but a good rule of thumb would be to stick between 6 to 12 reps with a high RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion). Also women should focus on using compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, push-ups, pull-ups, to stimulate their nervous system to allow for adaptation. 

Myth 3: You Need to Focus on Cardio to Get Lean

Before we go into this. I want to start by saying their is no question that cardiovascular exercise can help you lose fat, and cardio has a place in a strength training program. Now, if you purely focus on cardio, you will likely lose weight, especially if your diet is in check. However, you will also lose muscle if you don't take part in resistance training. If you are looking to improve your body composition, it is important to prioritize resistance training or work at a high intensity for a short period of time. This triggers protein synthesis (muscle recovery) and can last for up to two days after a workout. Yes steady state cardio is OK to use on occasion. However, it should not be the main focus of your fitness program. Try implementing at least two or three strength training day and then a few high intensity interval routines in your new program. 

If you're confused and looking for a customized online or in person program tailored to your specific goals click here to schedule a free session or 20 min call.