A common misconception about heavy weight training, especially among women, is that lifting heavy weight will lead to a bulky looking physique. It’s true that lifting heavy will promote hypertrophy in muscles leading to a size increase. However, the idea that it leads to a “bulky” look is untrue.
The true culprit that leads to bulky physiques is fat accumulation. Excessive body fat is what causes both men and women to look bulky. The most important aspect of someone’s physique is his or her body fat percentage. A good physique nearly always requires a fairly low body fat percentage to achieve. Lifting heavy can help accomplish this.
Heavy weight training has a plethora of benefits that can help develop muscle, shed fat and ultimately lead to anyone’s desired physique.
Here are some of the benefits of lifting heavy:
- Stronger muscles, tendons and ligaments leading to more stable joints and overall movement
- Increase in muscle size (greater in men than women)
- Decrease in body fat due to burning calories and favorable hormonal balance
- Increase in bone density
- Increase in production of neurotransmitters leading to better mood and balanced state of mind
- Improved physical coordination
It is important to keep in mind that any exercise regimen is only as good as the diet that goes along with it. In terms of physique changes, diet accounts for far more than the exercise itself. Obviously, you must weight train to build muscle, but it will all be for naught if your diet is not also dialed in.
In order to lose fat and get rid of the “bulk,” a cutting diet is required. In simple terms, this requires you to burn more calories than you eat. There is much more to the process, but in a nutshell, eat healthy and eat less.
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