Women and Lifting

I just had to make a note about this:

A few weeks ago I overheard a woman in my gym say something that almost made me lose my lunch.  She was talking to her friend (both were on pin machines doing half-exercises and more interested in the latest celebrity gossip than effective workouts) about how she didn't want to workout too much because she 'didn't want to get buff like a man'.  She made constant reference to her weight (what little of it there was), and how she really just wanted to be 'toned'.

Now based on the the type of workout this woman was doing, I'm guessing that she was not getting her 'toned' look from her exercise regime.  She spent a total of about 20 minutes in the gym, and at a pinch I would say that her heart rate never exceeded 30% beyond resting rate.  This female - I'm guessing she was in her early forties - more than likely got her physique from a combination of genes and diet only. 

If she had've been working out properly, pushing the limits of strength, and getting her heart rate up through supersets or cardiovascular work, even after many months of this type of regime there is no way she would ever come close to being 'buff like a man'.  Even hitting high intensity, high volume workouts, where she could be trying for big levels of hypertrophy would eventually see her reach a limit of development that any woman would find - even elite athletes.  Why?  Because of one word, people - TESTOSTERONE.  Women have virtually none of it.  It is essential for the building of big muscles, and without it there is always going to be a physical limit to the bulk a female human can put on.  This is the one big difference between male and female athletes, and why, for example, men are always going to be faster and stronger.  Women can have at least the same - if not greater - mental strength, but the great leveler is the physical reality.  Resistance training for both sexes is the best way to workout for weight loss.  Whether training for strength or functionality or hypertrophy, weight training (combined with a healthy diet) will work faster and more efficiently for fat loss and neural development than any other method.

So ladies, the next time you hear someone say, 'I don't want to do too many weights because I don't want to get massive muscles,' you can reply with a simple, two word answer.  'Bullshit.  Testosterone.'