Will Weight Training Automatically Make Me Muscular Like A Man?

Ok, this is probably a weird blog post title but hears me out, my wife use to refuse to do any upper body weight training; because of that very question. I completely understand the concern with looking like a man, (most) women do not desire that outcome again. Oddly enough, I feel the need to state this is not a post about sexual orientation, preferences, or anything of that nature.

I believe, if you click this specific post, then you are wondering about that exact thing: can resistance training make you look like a man? In short, no absolutely not unless you feel that definition and tone-ness are only male attributes. For clarity, when referencing to (looking like a man) as the big muscles, size. We could end this post here, but I would like to give you more facts on the subject at hand if you don't mind.

Both males and females have estrogen, being more dominant in women, and more potent in males testosterone both, are hormones. One of the many characteristics of testosterone is that it also helps builds muscle and bone mass. Strictly from a scientific standpoint, most women can not naturally gain those (men) like muscles or bodies due to the lack of testosterone in general.

Testosterone levels vary from person to person, which explains to a lesser degree how one can naturally train for bigger muscles than another. Yes, protein plays a crucial role in building muscle mass, as well as promoting fat loss. Yet, that role has limits due to the amounts of available testosterone. So, fear not, because even if you are one of the lucky ladies to have a bit higher testosterone level, you can only reach a certain point when it comes to bulking or putting on size.

You may have noticed the reference to (natural) because depending on your fitness goal; you might want to push the limits and go beyond natural chemical balances. I am not a fan of steroids or substances, even some supplements. It is my job to know about those different methods, and everything has its purpose. There is a cycling process a lot of bodybuilders use to manipulate the muscle fibers. Even without the use of drugs, there are ways to maximize gain naturally.

That is when we go right back to the nutrition topic. Whether your goal is toning or gaining, you must hit your macronutrient numbers on average. Rest assured, that is not as difficult as led to believe. Hopefully, this gave you some value and the confidence to go ahead with bench press, bicep curl, and dip it out! Everyone desires to live a full healthy fit life, and one way to battle against father time is to train hard, well training smart.

Live life free and stay fit!

J’Nathan Bullock CSCS