If a woman lifts weights for fitness only, not for competitive bodybuilding, just how manly might her muscles end up looking?

This is about the typical woman who trains with weights.

The Answer in a Nutshell

A woman who lifts weights will look no more manly than will a man who DOESN’T lift weights look like a woman!

In a world that we live in today where we feel like we are being judged left and right, we always want to make sure we are looking our best.

That is why fitness can be so important in someone’s life!

While people in general can maintain that healthy figure with a good diet and simple exercise such as running on a treadmill, there are also ways to change your shape for the better such as weightlifting.

Unfortunately, there is a common misconception by many females that they will begin to look too manly if they begin lifting weights.

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Why is this? Well, one reason is they may make a simple online search for “female bodybuilders” and only see pictures of the “enhanced” ones.

What I mean by “enhanced” are the female bodybuilders that supplement with testosterone, which obviously is not legal to use.

By seeing these pictures, someone would think that they may turn into that if they begin lifting weights.

Now, being a bodybuilder and open minded person myself, I see nothing wrong with looking like that.

However, I also know that many females would rather keep their more feminine look as much as possible and not wish to carry that much muscle.

When it comes down to it, there is virtually no way that you can begin to look overly manly when lifting weights and trying to build lean, fat-burning muscle.

Men on average have 10 times the testosterone as women, yet even THEY must bust their butts in the gym to pack on muscle. Watch these men work out. They are straining, sometimes loudly grunting.

It takes a long time for males to start looking big; for females, it is going to be even harder!

Putting on muscle for a female will also only make you look leaner and better.

Since muscle takes up less space than fat, you will look leaner at 120 lbs with some muscle than you would at 120 lbs with hardly any muscle!

Now that you realize how beneficial weight training can be, you can now go out and start reaching your goals!

Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained clients of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health. 

 

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Top image: Shutterstock/Artem Furman