The Howard County Housewives are official! Check out the article featuring the Housewives (+3) and the United Football League.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/bal-ho.neighbors11oct11,0,49751.story
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Question: Female, I am looking to tone my arms and upper body, but I’m concerned about getting bulky. Can you suggest some exercises?
I would like to address the concern about females getting “bulky” due to strength training. Women have a tendency to not participate in a strength program because they feel their muscles will look large and less feminine. A study has shown that the greatest increase in various body circumferences in women due to a ten week strength training program was 0.6 cm. These gains are barely noticeable. The same study also showed that the hip, thigh, and abdomen circumference actually decreased during the same time period. This is great news for females who want to strength train without the increased size of the muscles.
The average female has difficulty producing large “bulky” muscles because of their low testosterone level. Men typically have a 20 to 30 time’s higher testosterone level than women. Testosterone is the primary hormone that interacts with skeletal muscle tissue to increase its force potential and mass.
Another misconception is that females need a different strength training protocol than men. Research indicates that identical resistance training programs for men and women elicit the same, if not a greater, strength gain for women.
A third misconception is that females will become muscle bound when they initiate a strength training program. Muscle bound is a term that refers to a lack of flexibility. Again, research supports that strength training can cause an increase in flexibility.
The benefits of a strength training program are numerous. Scientific research does not support the misconceptions of a women’s strength training program such as developing “bulky” muscles, performing a separate routine than men, and losing flexibility.
The average female has difficulty producing large “bulky” muscles because of their low testosterone level. Men typically have a 20 to 30 time’s higher testosterone level than women. Testosterone is the primary hormone that interacts with skeletal muscle tissue to increase its force potential and mass.
Another misconception is that females need a different strength training protocol than men. Research indicates that identical resistance training programs for men and women elicit the same, if not a greater, strength gain for women.
A third misconception is that females will become muscle bound when they initiate a strength training program. Muscle bound is a term that refers to a lack of flexibility. Again, research supports that strength training can cause an increase in flexibility.
The benefits of a strength training program are numerous. Scientific research does not support the misconceptions of a women’s strength training program such as developing “bulky” muscles, performing a separate routine than men, and losing flexibility.
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