Debunking popular myths regarding women and lifting heavy.

We asked our female clients and trainers: will you get bulky lifting weights?

Here’s what they had to say.

“It’s actually much harder than it seems, especially for women! 

Here’s why: The average man has around twenty times as much testosterone (the hormone primarily responsible for muscle gain) than the average woman, so biologically speaking, women naturally gain muscle at a much slower pace than men do – making it realistically very difficult to achieve that “masculine” and “bulky” look.

If anything, a strength and resistance training program paired with a well-balanced diet will help you achieve a leaner appearance as well as a stronger body and mindset.”

– Krystle Theseira, Personal Trainer at Level

“Not at all. If anything, I’ve managed to look slimmer and more toned even though my weight stayed the same.”

– Eleni Sardi, Advertising Executive, Client at Level

“No, that is a misconception!

The only reason you’ll get bulky is if you’re overeating. In fact, women build muscle much less easily than men due to our hormonal makeup, and getting bulky is something that is actually extremely hard to achieve.

Also, muscle is more compact than fat, which means that pound for pound, muscle takes up less bulk and would make you look more compact.”

– Hannah Ko, Personal Trainer at Level

“I got a lot more muscle definition. Bulk is honestly hard to achieve and you will really have to bulk up your food intake and ramp up training.”

– Tiffany Tan, Personal Trainer at Level

“Not at all. I definitely got toner and stronger.”

– Ling Tew, Sales Rep, Client at Level

“From my experience and the experience of the other ladies that I train with: what you get is definition and tone. Not bulk.”

– Suraya Shulhameed, Tax Lead, Client at Level

“When you lift weights your muscles will get stronger, but it will not necessarily get bigger.

Compared to men, women have ~20% less testosterone and growth hormone, which makes it super challenging for us to gain muscle mass in the first place.

When women lift, we add sexy lean muscle mass to our body frame and gain better posture too.”

– Sharlynn Ooi, Personal Trainer at Level

“Whether or not you bulk is dependent on your body type and diet.

If you have a bigger frame (e.g. wider shoulders), you may want to reduce the amount of time training that body part and focus more on your lower body so you build a more proportionate frame and balance out”

– Evadne Woon, Personal Trainer at Level

Interested in the benefits of lifting heavy for women? Email us at trial@level.com.sg for a complimentary personal training consultation, or try our strength classes STRUCTURE and SKILL!

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